


Hatchlings

by Genuka



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Author Notes can mostly be ignored, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cuddling & Snuggling, Family, Gen, Hedwig dies but comes back, Insane Dumbledore, Manhandling, Parseltongue, Partly written, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Sane Tom Riddle, Sane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Wizarding World gets smack over the head, Work In Progress, platonic sleeping arrangements, tags/warnings/rating may change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 65,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22033009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genuka/pseuds/Genuka
Summary: Voldemort never thought he would discover another parselmouth much less two and to find that one of his most trusted was sworn to protect Potter? Well at least he wasn't insane any more. The pair weren't going anywhere now that he had his hands on them.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle | Voldemort & Severus Snape, No romantic pairings, Severus Snape & Voldemort
Comments: 472
Kudos: 1569





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rowenasheir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowenasheir/gifts).



> I started this over at FFN and while I hadn't planned to cross post it here a reviewer asked due to the download function. I am still debating leaving AO3 but for now I will just go ahead and add my latest story to this site too.
> 
> Also, there is no established timeline beyond cannon up to the change point (as usual for my fics). This story was started as a fun goof-off fic and evolved from there. Nothing is set in stone.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is already written up to ch 22 on FFN I will be giving you all of the pre-written chapters. For back dating purposes the FFN publishing date was Sept. 30th - which I will not fight the site on. This will be mirrored as best as possible except for the notes. Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

*+ovo+* **_Hatchlings_** *+ovo+*

Voldemort eyed the students wandering Hogsmeade during the first Hogsmeade weekend trip of the year thoughtfully. He was currently wandering around with slightly patrician features, honey blond hair that edged more towards a brown gold, and hazel eyes. His green robes were embroidered with silver but of an open style he didn't typically favor. Underneath he wore black slacks and a dove grey shirt. The only thing that might give him away to those who knew him or had faced him was his wand, which was currently in its holster up his left sleeve.

The Dark Lord had an entire raid of people either hidden in the nearby forest or wandering around under disillusionment and invisibility spells. The goal for this raid was to tweak Dumbledore, possibly capture the available students, and hopefully grab Potter. Presuming they got a decent number of students he had plans to force an open discussion with the Wizengamot and Dumbledore. Potter would need to be present too if he was right in his guess.

"Remember, capture but do as little harm to the children as possible and try not to kill anyone," Voldemort murmured into the pin on his collar. His mind was clear for once and he wanted things to go smoothly.

They struck.

The students were being herded into an empty lot before they realized what had happened, their wands quickly stripped from them and the supervising teachers openly at wand point. Severus Snape scowled fiercely. He had been given no warning of this raid before hand and had no idea what today's objective was. Minerva McGonagall berated a few of the raiders she recognized as former students until her colleague managed to get her to be quiet. No warning had made it out to the school and it would take little for the raiders to whisk the entire group of captives away.

"Ity bitty baby Potter!" Bellatrix cried in open glee.

"Oh god," Severus whispered as he bolted, putting himself between Bellatrix's spell and Potter without thought. He got hit with the Cruciartus Curse for his pains.

"Bella!" the Dark Lord snapped, stopping the curse and drawing her up short, as he approached the area of the captives. He had seen the entire thing and didn't like what it implied.

"Don't," Harry warned those around him as he checked on Snape. "Its Voldemort."

"And how would you know that?" the Dark Lord asked sharply as he allowed the pretty boy glamor to fade away, confirming Potter's assessment.

"You always make my scar burn when you get close," Harry explained carefully. It wasn't like it was a secret or anything.

"Stupid boy," Snape hissed as he weakly forced himself into a sitting position. He had collapsed under the effects of the pain curse and knew he had to get back to his feet if he didn't want to die. His cover was already blown but he might be able to salvage _something_ out of this mess even if it cost him his life.

"Tell me Severus, as much as I disapprove of Bella's attempt to curse Potter, why did you jump in front of him? Hmm? Why did you _protect_ him?" Voldemort asked ominously. His ruby eye gleamed in interest rather than malice.

Severus just looked away, refusing to answer. The sudden grip in his hair as his head was wrenched around to look at his sworn lord told him for certain that he was found out. There was going to be no denying that had deliberately protected the teen who was supposed to be his lord's downfall.

"You now have some very difficult questions to answer my slippery snake," Voldemort hissed. A wordless spell had Snape's wrists bound tightly against each other behind his back even as he continued hanging from the Dark Lord's grip in his hair.

"Don't!" Harry said. He suddenly felt desperate to protect the potions master and he wasn't sure why.

"And why should I listen to you Potter?" Voldemort asked with interest, choosing to continue looking over his captive rather than the young man quickly becoming a dangerous opponent as he grew.

"I... don't know," Harry admitted uncertainly. "I'll trade... something."

"~And what would you have to trade?~" Voldemort hissed in parseltongue, not expecting any answer due to a lack of understanding of the language. After all, he was the only Parselmouth that he was aware of.

"~Cooperation? At least for now?~" Harry offered back in the same language.

"You are a parselmouth?" Voldemort asked slowly, speaking once more in english as he turned his head to look at his young prophesied foe. His grip in Severus' hair tightened, causing the helpless potions master to wince.

"Dumbledore said you gave it to me," Harry answered warily. "I'm not sure how you gave me a piece of yourself but Dumbledore seems to think its to do with the scar you gave me the night my parents died. Why did you come after us any way?"

"Harry?" the bushy haired girl at his side, Hermione Granger, asked carefully.

"I don't think I'll get a calmer or safer time to ask," Harry answered her with a shrug. "Its not like Dumbledore really answers my questions and he's been avoiding me this year. I just want some clear answers and its not like we can do much just now."

"An answer for an answer then?" Voldemort offered after a moment of thought. A piece of himself? How would that even work? Unless.... best to check but not now. If necessary he could always have someone else get close to the teen and cast the various special diagnostic spells or do so during the more regular near yearly confrontations. The current situation was too delicate, too risky on the off chance someone else realized what casting those spells might mean. It might reveal the existence of his Horcruxes. No, the risk was too great as yet.

"Plans for either side of the war, barring this particular situation, should be off-limits," Hermione insisted quickly. "Same with anything that you can use against us."

"Interesting but no. I want to know how true certain rumors are and your offer wont help me any. You are in the lesser position but as your audacity amuses me for the moment there will be no punishment," Voldemort smirked. Harry had known he wouldn't go for it but Hermione hadn't given him the chance to stop her.

"If you let everyone else go I will come with you willingly and refrain from any escape attempts for at least a month. Additionally, if you agree not to kill or torture me while in your care I will submit to two sessions where I will answer anything you want under Veritaserum. You can always go back to trying to kill me after I'm rescued, escape, or you let me go," Harry offered quickly. He couldn't see any downsides beyond his own humiliation. It wasn't like he would actively resist being rescued and the lack of torture or death would give him a chance to just rest from everything. He didn't know why the Dark Lord had broken his cover so soon but he was going to take advantage of what he could in this situation.

"You offer me much," Voldemort commented thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "~I will be able to claim the Veritaserum sessions at any time even after you happen to no longer be my protected captive. A fact that you will speak of to no one.~"

"~You can not use those sessions to capture me without my agreement and permission, barring weird circumstances. I get safe passage afterwards to any location I please and a further 24 hours of immunity from your people coming after me,~" Harry insisted in the same language. "~Self defense, if I'm doing something stupid like attacking them or their homes and families, is exempt but I would prefer they try to capture me rather than kill me even if it means handing me straight back to you with no protections on my end.~"

"A Slytherin hiding in the lion's den!" Voldemort laughed uproariously. Snape's eyes widened in shock as he looked askance at his green-eyed stubborn charge. "The Loyalty of a Hufflepuff, the Courage of a Gryffindor, the Cunning of a Slytherin... do you also have the Wit of a Ravenclaw?"

"The hat said I did. Its part of why he had so much trouble placing me," Harry admitted warily.

"Oh? And I suppose the hat thought that your courage was your strongest attribute?" Voldemort smirked, finally releasing Snape's hair after shoving the man to his knees at the Dark Lord's feet.

Harry didn't answer. He knew that to preserve his Gryffindor reputation he should say something snarky back but his inner Slytherin warned him to stay quiet. It was usually his inner Slytherin that kept him alive so he obeyed, hoping that this once it wasn't a mistake.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed in though at the lack of an answer.

"~That wasn't a rhetorical question,~" Voldemort warned in parsel.

"~No, the hat wanted me in Slytherin but I had met Draco Malfoy and wasn't fond of the risk of him setting me on fire as I slept. I begged to go anywhere else,~" Harry quietly hissed his answer. "~I didn't know I was a wizard until after I turned eleven and I honestly can't get my hands on answers to my questions. I don't care about the fame or the war. I simply wasn't given a choice in fighting it. Between the light side forcing me to fight and your side attacking me it looks very much like nobody cares enough to even ask.~"

"~And where do you wish to stand?~" a hiss of parseltongue came from the kneeling potions master, drawing their immediate attention.

"~I don't know enough to pick anything but it would be really nice to not have to worry about anything except school work for a year. No Dark Lords, no giant snakes, no evil ministry trying to get me executed for reporting truth, no guilt trips from any of the light side, no being forced to write in my own blood... Just school and maybe a Quidditch game or two,~" Harry hissed back quietly before swapping back to english. "Is that so much to ask? Three meals a day, a safe bed, and a chance to actually do my school work without fighting for my life or having to discover some deadly plot before it comes after me or the other students. No one hounding me for being famous or not even asking what I might like when picking things on my behalf. Just school. Being just Harry. Eventually a family, maybe?"

"Show me," Voldemort ordered, instinctively knowing that whoever had made Harry write in his own blood had left marks.

Harry hesitated but finally extended his blood quill scarred hand for the Dark Lord to examine. As soon as he touched the teen he knew that there were glamours hiding something over the majority of his body. He could also tell that the glamor attempts to hide the marks made by the blood quill had failed every single time. Looking down at the battered, wounded hand he knew that _his_ enemy had had been tortured and felt his possessiveness flare. Potter was _his_. No one was to touch him with harm in mind but the Dark Lord himself!

"You have your agreement with a few changes. One, I will not be releasing anyone until certain negotiations have taken place. Two, I will be in charge of any and all medical decisions for you until you reach twenty unless I assign them to someone else. As a concession on the medical proxy Severus or Lucius may act as my stand in so that the school isn't terrified every time you get hurt because it might mean that I will show up. Additionally Dumbledore and his sworn people are to have as little say in your life as possible, which includes medical decisions. Three, you will abide by any agreement made within the negotiations barring something which would cause you harm. To that end if something is agreed upon that will, in fact, cause you harm you are to immediately report it and explain why. This," Voldemort said, tapping the injured hand with one forefinger. "Is unacceptable. Even if we continue attempting to kill each other my attempts are generally very purposefully at the end of the school year or on Halloween for very important reasons. No one but I should be causing you any harm. Unless you are in an active magic feud with another family?"

"Not that I know of," Harry shook his head no. "My fights with Draco are school stuff even when he tries to make it bigger and he almost always starts it. I wouldn't even know how to start or end a magical feud and as far as I know both sides have to say its a feud before its an actual feud. I don't really know anything about my family either so any feuds they started don't mean anything to me."

"What?" Snape whispered in shock.

"How much do you know about the Wizarding World?" Voldemort demanded harshly, dragging Harry closer by using the captured, wounded hand as a tether.

"Nothing we don't learn in class," Harry stammered. "No one bothered to teach me. They just assume I know stuff but Hermione and Dean both know more than I do and they were raised muggle too."

Voldemort hissed in fury and Harry winced, clutching at his scar with his free hand.

"If what you say is true..." Snape trailed off into horrified silence. Voldemort used his free hand to drag the Professor to his feet by his robes. He let go of Harry who backed a bit away as he eyed both of them warily, unsure as to what would happen next.

"You will give me an oath, in Parseltongue, that until this is sorted out Potter will be your priority and primary charge," Voldemort ordered flatly. "Depending upon how deep your betrayal went and how well you discharge this oath will affect your punishment. Do not think to actually escape as I _will_ have answers from both of you. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, my lord," Severus agreed quickly. Harry looked at the Dark Lord oddly but gave his own agreement.

"My lord? Madam Bones has arrived," a lower level Death Eater informed them quickly. Bellatrix was scowling at the back of the masked man's head but it was clear she wasn't going to interfere in official business.

"The oath," Voldemort ordered, ignoring the messenger for the moment.

"~I, Severus Tobias Snape, vow to protect Harry James Potter as my primary charge and priority to the best of my ability until such time as the...~" Snape started only to be interrupted.

"Until such time as his status is clear and he is no longer in need of protection or both I and your charge release you from your oath," Voldemort corrected in English with a flat tone of voice. He wanted to eventually be able to assign Severus to other duties after all, once his loyalty had been reaffirmed by action or spell work.

"~Until such time as his status is clear and he is no longer in need of protection or both Harry James Potter and the one known as the Dark Lord Voldemort release me from my oath,~" Severus hissed, correcting his wording promptly. He was still tied up after all and this neatly added on to the already existing unbreakable vow to protect Harry.

Everyone felt the magic surge as the binding briefly manifested as a blue ribbon of power merging with an existing gold ribbon of power that flashed into existence between the three wizards.

"And what unbreakable vow are you under in concern with Potter?" the Dark Lord asked ominously. "Wait, don't bother. The way they merged it must also be a vow of protection in some form. I will want a copy of the exact wording at some point. For now you will stand guard over Potter and neither of you will be released with the others. The rest can be sorted out later."

"Too many bloody questions that need answering," Severus muttered as he was freed and his wand returned to him. Harry eyed his surly Professor a bit warily but didn't object to the man standing at his back, recognizing the futility of fighting any of this.

"I will inform Madam Bones and the Headmaster, vouching as witness to the oath," Minerva McGonagall offered carefully.

"By all means Minerva, by all means," Voldemort agreed. He was just glad that his old schoolmate was taking this all so well. He wasn't quite sure she knew who he was from their joint past but the fact that she wasn't going all out to fight the situation helped greatly in keeping things calm.

"Shall I lead you to the meeting area my lord?" the messenger asked quietly.

"Yes, come Bella," Voldemort ordered, following the messenger without waiting. Bellatrix, who had been quietly waiting off to one side, sneered at them all before following after the Dark Lord.

"What happens now?" a third year Hufflepuff asked fearfully.

"We wait," Snape answered shortly.

*+ovo+*

Voldemort walked away from their captives, pondering what he had learned. The newly discovered Parsel ability in the other two wizards made them more valuable to him than they could ever realize. Before anything could be done with the pair he had to know the particulars of their situation. It was also clear to him that he had to keep Bellatrix away from the pair or he may just find them "accidentally" dead one day. Also, if his outlandish fears were correct and the "piece of himself" was in fact a piece of his very soul...

A quiet order not to harm the captives was passed around as he approached the group of Aurors led by Madam Bones at the perimeter of the area of their control.

"Ah, Madam Bones! How good of you to join us," Voldemort said charmingly. He had wanted to do all of this under that pretty boy glamour but Potter outing him could also be worked to his advantage. His current bald, nose less, red-eyed appearance would need to be enough. Although, if he could regain enough trust with Severus that might change.

"Who might you be?" Madam Amelia Bones asked levelly. Her jaw and hand tightening as her nose flared in anger.

Deciding to take everything up a notch Voldemort smiled evilly and gave her a brief bow as he introduced himself. "Lord Voldemort, at your service."

The way the entire group of negotiating Aurors paled was quite gratifying, causing the Dark Lord to mentally chuckle.

"I happen to have acquired a good number of students and a few staff members. Of those captured I am willing to return all but two as things stand now, including your niece," Voldemort expounded. "Potter offered a deal, you see, witnessed by the Deputy Headmistress. He is mine for the next month, without resistance, at minimum even if he did take torture and death off the table. Its quite possible that more than one person now owes him a life debt for his generous negotiation."

"You bastard," one Auror whispered angrily.

"What exactly do you want?" Madam Bones asked carefully. Getting the children back was the most important goal right now, especially with Fudge still burying his head in the sand.

"Safe passage for us out of Hogsmeade, a meeting to discuss grievances under a Truce Ward or a Peace Ward with the Wizengamot and a representative of Gringotts, Dumbledore out of Hogwarts and away from the children in any form..." Voldemort offered quickly. "There are a few others but Potter's actions today tell me that I may not need to resort to drastic action. That there is a chance for peace, if only a small one."

"And if Mr. Potter hadn't offered a deal?" Madam Bones asked with a sinking sense of dread.

"Then we would have seen if loosing a portion of the children would make the Wizarding World wake up enough to see at least _some_ danger as an actual threat with the hope of seeing the _real_ danger and handling it correctly," Voldemort answered. His voice echoing with soft menace. "If our world can not respond appropriately to a threat of this size I will have to re-work _everything_ in my plans to save even a small portion of our people from what is coming."

"And what," Shacklebolt asked abruptly. "Is coming?"

"I would say ask your precious Headmaster but it is clear he wont answer honestly," Voldemort practically spat at the man. "The fall of the Statute and war with the Muggles. If you can prove that the muggleborns are not of tainted blood, say if they happen to be of lost Squib lines, or give me a solid reason to accept them then I will make it clear they are to be accepted. If, however, you can not prove that they are human without a risk to magic its self and thus our people then I can only assume they are the first wave of attack against us, attempting to corrupt our children. Halfbloods at least have enough magic to consistently overpower the taint."

"Why do you steal children?" Madam Bones asked carefully. It was always in the reports of the raids, hidden as things transfigured into the child's corpse but there. The children didn't usually die unless Dumbledore's vigilante group got involved even if the rest of their families died during the raid.

"Noticed that did you?" Voldemort asked with sudden amusement. "Blood adoption of the highest order allows us to save many of the children... but not all. It is especially effective on those who have been abused, thus they are our first priority when retrieving any children. The lack of our customs and celebrations being taught _loses_ more children than anything else. You have no idea how many are _killed_ or _maimed_ for lack of knowledge and respect to the magic they wield. Dumbledore's insistence that the muggles will accept us will instead get us all _killed_ down to the last babe."

"May I quote you on that?" Rita Skeeter asked eagerly. She was quickly scribbling down the conversation and no one was quite sure when she had arrived or how.

"If you are doing so verbatim," Voldemort said cautiously. "No exaggeration or swapping around words. No attempts to make the story more interesting in any fashion. Please me with the truthfulness of your article and I might invite you to interview Mr. Potter while he is in my care with a promise of safe passage."

"May I ask? Why do you see war with the muggles as a danger? Aren't they just muggles?" Rita asked rabidly. She was practically salivating at this interview opportunity.

"Tell me, would you wish to fight someone with the ability to wipe out all of London with a single explosion? Or the touch of a button?" Voldemort asked flatly.

"Wha? But they are just muggles!" Rita responded in surprise. A surprise that was mirrored by many of the people around them and occasionally mixed with heavy skepticism.

"And that view is part of the problem," Voldemort shot back. "The muggles have already gotten and used weapons that have wiped out entire cities. Or did it not ever occur to you to look up what essentially wiped out all of Japan's Magical Ministry in the 40's? The war with Grindelwald might have been present but it was only half of the war that was happening. The muggles fought their side against Hitler and we fought ours against Grindelwald but it was all the same war. They were acting in concert. When Grindelwald's forces couldn't reach Japan just yet to force them into submission some overly clever idiot set the Japanese Ministry as one of the targets for the American's devastating new bombs. There weren't even bodies to bury after that."

The sudden shock that engulfed the area told Madam Bones, through her own numb shock, that even the people of the dark faction hadn't been privy to that information yet. You could have heard a pin drop in the street at that moment.

"If our world can not handle the relatively small mess that I am making then I need to come up with something else to save our people. Even with nearly 15 years to rest and to prepare from my first attempt you have all fallen short. With Potter actually willing to talk to me, despite our past, we may yet still have _some_ hope," Voldemort's words echoed strongly in the silence. "As things stand now... I might as well kill all of the children to spare them from the disaster that is coming."

"You wouldn't!" Someone protested in horrified shock.

"It is my hope that I wont have to... if Potter is able to see reason we may yet be able to avert disaster...." Voldemort responded to the horrified voice blandly.

"Are you going to return the children?" Madam Bones asked shakily.

"If you are concerned for their safety... Potter already bought that," Voldemort reassured her with grim amusement. "If you doubt my words walk into any muggle book store and look at their history section. Specifically, look at the history of warfare or a book on World War 2, what we term the war with Grindelwald. Take that book and compare the battles and actions in the muggle side of the war with the ones on our side as Europe fought against Grindelwald. For myself, look at the London Bombings also known as the London Blitz. Look at what the muggles did during that time and explain to me why more than 30 of my classmates never returned to Hogwarts after the holidays. Explain to me why I was sent back into a war zone with the use of magic forbidden on pain of my magic being bound and dropping me right back into that very same war zone. Because I am a Slytherin? Because I can speak to serpents? Because I defended myself as a child with controlled bursts of accidental magic before Hogwarts when my life was threatened at the orphanage? No, if our world can not handle my raids then the next best thing is to take those who will listen to me and disappear with every single magical child I can get my hands on in the hope of at least saving _them_."

"And Potter?" Skeeter stuttered, clearly in shock as her quill dutifully recorded every word.

"Potter? Who do you think leads the children? Our next generation?" Voldemort snorted. "If I am to save any of us than Potter either needs to co-operate or be removed irregardless of the Prophecy that sent me after his family. A prophecy, I might add, that has been proven to be false as certified by the goblins. I will enter into a binding marriage peace agreement with Potter if that is what it takes to preserve our people. I draw the line at marrying Dumbledore."

"Of the demands what are non-negotiable?" Madam Bones asked, taking a deep breath to calm herself. This was not the psychotic madman of the last war. Whatever had happened it was clear to her that the man was fully sane and might have reasonable concerns. That wasn't to say she wasn't going to check his claims but if he was right... dear god she hoped he wasn't right.

"Dumbledore out of Hogwarts and away from our people's children," Voldemort said instantly. "A meeting with the whole Wizengamot, the goblins, and any other sentient being ruler or council willing to listen under a Peace Ward or a Truce Ward. This needs to be done jointly if at all possible. Safe passage both from here as well as to and from the Wizengamot meeting."

"Potter and whoever else you are keeping from this mess attends that meeting after getting checked over by Gringotts healers to certify lack of harm under your care. If they fail the health check not only will it speak against you but you don't get them back," Madam Bones countered. She figured if he was on the level then they would be fine but if he wasn't they would only have to wait a short time under his care before she got them free. She also swore to herself that once Potter and the other person were free from the Dark Lord she was tagging them with trackers and giving them an Auror detail.

"That... may not be feasible. I don't object to the health check but Severus was one of mine originally and has possibly proven himself to be a traitor unless he had a damnable good reason for his actions. I will need to punish him depending upon the severity of his actions," Voldemort explained cautiously. "Potter can't be vouched for yet on the grounds that we are actively in a magical family feud. Until that feud is resolved in some fashion the family magic wont let me make an oath to that effect. A Gringotts certified check in and health check might work, as long as you understand there are possibly extenuating circumstances and that I will do my best under those restrictions."

"Done," Madam Bones agreed. She hoped that she had just sacrificed her career for a chance at peace but she would settle for saving the children and her niece if that was what it took.

Less than 20 minutes later the raid group left peaceably, escorting Harry Potter and Severus Snape away as prisoners. Voldemort looked over the captive pair with ruby eyes glowing in satisfaction. Not only did he have the promise of a meeting to present his case he had also acquired two parselmouths while neutralizing two enemies. If he was lucky Potter and Snape would be turned fully to _his_ side before long. Not only that the pair couldn't try to leave for at least a month. A month he would put to good use.

With a spattering crack of a group apparating away they were gone, leaving behind a shocked audience fearing the return of the Dark Lord and what it might mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone pointed something out to me so I thought I should clarify.  
> Voldy is not actually planing to kill the kids. Kidnap and fake their deaths? Yes.  
> Actually killing them when there is another way? Not a chance in hell.  
> This is a _sane_ Voldy. Unless a child is proved to be an abomination and/or irredeemably evil he would far rather rescue them and hide them away than actually kill them.


	2. Chapter 2

Voldemort smirked as they all arrived at the meeting place safely. The apparation after leaving had been purposefully set up as a multi-stop trip with short walks in between to keep anyone from following them. Their final destination had been Riddle Manor from the start. While the manor wasn't really habitable any more it was still a good staging point and meeting spot. If the Dark Lord bothered to put any effort into it the estate would be habitable in a short time, thanks to the muggle caretaker that he had killed late last summer while still inhabiting the golem.

Snape, knowing how the Dark Lord typically worked, hustled himself and Harry forward to stand in front of the man that was his sworn lord. He didn't want them dragged forwards and thrown at the man's feet after all. Harry, on the other hand, was trying to look stoic but he was also clearly wary as to what was going to happen to him. Severus really couldn't blame him.

"Relax," Voldemort smirked at the pair of them. "I agreed to your conditions and you have no need to fear my wand while you are both my captives beyond basic containment. As Severus is now bound as your guard those conditions also extend to him and it would be... counter productive to allow otherwise."

"So, what happens now?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Now, Narcissa Malfoy gets to check you both over as a healer," Voldemort smirked. Severus' groan just made his smirk grow wider. It was common knowledge among the dark faction that she was a certified healer and that she frequently went after Severus over his lack of self care. Placing the pair in her hands, after a quick Gringotts certified health check, would ensure they both stayed basically healthy. Any medical complications would be dealt with swiftly and firmly under Narcissa's care.

"She's a terror," Severus groused. "Almost as bad as Pomphrey on a tare."

"If you would simply eat regularly she would be less likely to hound you," Voldemort countered smugly.

"You are evil," Severus shot back, clearly pouting at this point. Neither of them had forgotten about his precarious position but the deal Harry had made combined with the oath given had provided Severus a safety margin. A safety margin that the potions master planed to take full advantage of to keep his charge alive and sane.

"~I am tempted to simply make you blood adopt him and have you take a permanent gender swapping potion... Should I consider something worse?~" Voldemort hissed evilly. The Cruciartus, after all, was more of a short term severe punishment. It acted like a properly deserved smack to the bottom of a disobedient child, depending on the power and control levels used, but it also kept some of the more... extreme Death Eaters under control. Lesser punishments were usually along the lines of less trust, an unpleasant task, or the surrendering of a family heirloom. For Inner Circle members punishment was performed privately out of respect so that those in the lower ranks didn't see it as an under cut to their authority in the ranks.

"No! No, thank you," Severus answered nervously. He didn't know what could be worse than the current proposal but judging by the creativity of this one he really didn't want to find out. Even if he did wind up blood adopting Harry and being turned female it still beat out actual torture to insanity and beyond or something like it that was normal for traitors. Hopefully his "good behavior" would get him a less traumatizing punishment... hopefully.

"You had best resign yourselves to staying with me for the rest of your natural lives, longer if I can manage it," Voldemort told them bluntly. Teasing Severus was fun, whether or not he had been serious about his threat (he was), but there was a time and a place for it.

"Why?" Harry asked warily.

"Parselmouths are rare," was the only answer Voldemort gave before turning and officially dismissing the others in the raiding party. Harry and Severus found themselves being magically tugged along on an invisible leash as he lead them into the decrepit manor.

"~Tom?~" Nagini hissed in open interest as she slithered out of what might have once been the dining room to greet her wizard.

"~Nagini!~" Voldemort greeted his familiar with great affection.

"~Why have your brought these ones?~" Nagini asked suspiciously. She could sense the leash spell just fine and wanted to know if the pair were to be pets or food for her. It didn't happen often but it wasn't unheard of for her Tom to gift her a human as a meal.

"~They are speakers. I have secured them for now but they have yet to learn that they will not be leaving my nest without permission. I thought you would like the chance to look them over and meet them, especially as the young one is Harry Potter,~" Voldemort explained with an evil chuckle.

"~You are not going to let me eat the Potter now that you know he is a speaker?~" Nagini questioned with careful suspicion.

"~Hardly, he must be taught proper speaker things and Severus must be punished for hiding things from me such as his speaking,~" Voldemort explained with a smirk tossed towards the pair. "~They are mine to protect now.~"

"~Good,~" Nagini said emphatically. "~The young one smells of venom from the King Snake and eye water of the flaming bird. He will grow strong and help defend the nest once taught properly. For now I will accept them as speaker hatchlings in our nest. You have established dominance with the older one?~"

"~I have,~" Voldemort agreed. Venom of the King Snake? Eye water of the Flaming Bird? "~I will need to do so again in the future but for now they will both listen to me.~"

"~Than return us to the temporary nest in the blond one's territory,~" Nagini ordered regally. "~There I will check the newest additions to our nest and you, my first speaker hatchling, will _rest_. I will not have you exhausting yourself again especially as I now know why you hurt as the King Snake's Venom and the Firebird's tears wander your blood. You are not done healing and having the youngest hatchling nearby will aid in your return to strength!~"

Voldemort whipped around to stare at Harry in shock as he finally mentally translated King Snake as Basilisk and Firebird as Phoenix with Severus Snape not far behind. Harry just looked at them both somewhat sheepishly, having realized that the magical serpent familiar was referring to the mess he had faced in the Chamber of Secrets. He supposed that the venom and tears must have merged with his blood and it showed up in his scent.

"You will be explaining that," Snape said severely as Nagini made her way up Voldemort's body to rest wrapped around the wizard's torso and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Honestly? It will be slightly easier with a pensive or if you both would like to look at my memories directly _without_ trying to rip into my mind this time if you please," Harry said pointedly with a grimace. "It... will take awhile no matter what method we use to catch you both up on things as I'm sure you will both insist on going over _everything_ and not just the Chamber mess. Although, that one will take awhile just on its own... most of them will."

"Potter, you are a _menace_!" Severus declared, giving the impression of wanting to throw up his hands in the air in exasperation.

"You may be exempt from torture and death at my hands for the moment but that does not stop me from punishing you if I decide you disobeyed or crossed a line," Voldemort warned them both flatly. "I have claimed the right to monitor your health and thus how much you risk your life is now very much my concern. How often did you nearly die since returning to the Wizarding World?"

"Er, I'd really rather not answer that," Harry admitted nervously. He honestly thought that these two would celebrate any time he nearly died, like the Dursleys. The fact that they were angry over the thought even without proof or the full story as to his previous near death experiences hadn't even crossed his mind as a possibility.

Harry was now mentally cursing whoever had been supposed to make sure he was well schooled in everything wizarding. He deeply suspected by this point in his day that his complete ignorance was very intentional on someone's part. He would have to try and fix this if didn't want to find himself dead. A fact that these two older wizards were making very clear they were upset over. Maybe he could talk them into helping or at least allowing him to learn?

"A complete review of all your schooling, including manners, basic culture, and history of our people. We can cover family obligations, contracts, and finances later," Voldemort declared, obviously displeased at what he was learning today about his young nemesis.

"I only agreed to be your willing captive for a month and control over health stuff!" Harry protested quickly. "The negotiation stuff hasn't happened yet!"

"And anything affecting your health, such as misreading a magical contract which could kill you, any insult you might make to someone which could spark a very legal deadly duel doesn't count? Not to mention seeing that you have the money to care for yourself or if _I_ will need to supply such care in some fashion?" Voldemort demanded archly as he ushered them back out of the old house. "There is a great deal that can affect your health!"

"I! You!... Arg!" Harry spluttered. He was so focused on the discussion he barely realized what was happening until the Dark Lord ruthlessly grabbed both of his captives by the upper arm and apparated away with them, without warning. They arrived at their new location, a hall practically covered in white and grey patterned marble that was lined with rich tapestries, with a sharp _snap_ of magic. Harry and Severus were fighting not to get sick from the purposefully ungentle side-along apparation as they hung almost limply in his grip.

Nagini hissed with displeasure and slid down off of her wizard to move along under her own power as they traveled the marble clad halls. She knew what her first hatchling speaker was doing to the pair, ruthlessly establishing his dominance. She approved, after a fashion, but she did not appreciate getting caught in the backlash even a little bit.

"You would do best to get used to my manhandling," Voldemort smirked evilly as he dragged the sick feeling pair through the halls of Malfoy Manor. "No one but those I authorize will ever touch either of you again from this day forwards. I take care of my things and you both now qualify. Expect Lady Malfoy later today or tomorrow with a Gringotts healer to help her and certify everything for your health checks."

"Bastard!" Harry groused, still trying not to be sick.

Voldemort just chuckled evilly. As far as he was concerned the pair were _his_. He would be officially adding them to his family later in the month as wards of the family. As much as he had been serious about accepting a war ending marriage truce to the brash young wizard he wasn't particularly considering marrying either of his fellow parselmouths. Perhaps Severus if the feelings blossomed? Either way Harry was very firmly going in the adoptive son category if they got that far.

For the moment he would be manhandling them and insisting on platonic cuddling as well as platonic sleeping arrangements in the same bed. He did not trust the pair out of his sight. Both were powerful and had previously escaped his ire. He could not afford to lose them now that he knew they were parselmouths.

As the head of the family he would also eventually see them married with children. The Dark Lord no longer had that luxury. He could no longer sire children and carry on the Slytherin line. A fact that Severus might be able to change with his more complex healing potions or a blood adoption potion but it was not something that could be looked into as of yet. Voldemort's own health had to finish stabilizing along with his magic. He wasn't yet done healing from his rebirth and would have to satisfy his need for family with his two captives and any other future family members.

Harry and Severus were placed on an oversized bed in a bedroom they only belatedly realized belonged to the Dark Lord as Nagini settled down surrounding them on the bed. Plucking the ebony wand from the grasp of its snarky owner said Dark Lord slipped it into his robe pocket next to a familiar holly and phoenix feather wand. Several parsel wards and monitoring enchantment assured the safety and security of his two captives. The last thing the pair heard was his casting of a sleeping spell, sending them into the depths of dreams.

"~Guard them well, mother,~" Voldemort said softly, indulging in acknowledging his familiar's true role in the quiet of their rooms.

"~No more magic for you today, hatchling,~" Nagini hissed in open displeasure, using her tail to point at him sternly.

~I can't. I need to summon the goblin healer to check them for past harms and have them help Narcissa heal them,~" Voldemort said regretfully. "~I must also deal with Bellatrix... the one you call the crazy black female. Severus is still shaking from what she did to him when trying to hit Harry earlier.~"

Indeed the slight shaking that was the Cruciartus after effects were yet still making the snarky wizard shiver uncontrollably in his sleep. Nagini hissed her displeasure but didn't object again. Voldemort just knew that when he finally came to bed that night she would make him sleep in the next morning or even take a full day to rest. Sighing he headed for his desk in the next room of the suite. He had plans to revise and a punishment for Bellatrix to work out that would keep her _away_ from his two prizes. Not to mention health checks to arrange for those two prize wizards sleeping on his bed.

Still, things were looking up.


	3. Chapter 3

Nagini glared at the sleeping form of her first Speaker. He had pushed himself too far after securing the two new Speakers. At least he had listened when she finally ordered him to bed around midnight, threatening to trap him in bed for a full week if he didn't listen. The way he had stumbled into bed and curled up against the other Speakers was cute but spoke heavily of his exhaustion.

Nagini didn't like it. She could scent the pain from her new charges and the weariness from her first one. The three of them were staying in bed today!

The quiet pop of a Brownie, more commonly called House Elves, distracted the serpent from her brooding. Sliding out of bed and into the main room she hissed in inquiry at the creature. The elf squeaked and then slowly brought out the little picture book they had come up with for her to communicate things other than warning or "I will eat you" to them. Not a single wizard was aware of its existence and Nagini planned to keep it that way.

Using her tail on the unshrunken book that was placed on the floor in front of her Nagini flipped through the pictures and charts of related pictures. The first thing she pointed at was a wizard before jabbing at it 3 times then at a plate of food and repeating the triple jab. Next she pointed at the image for a bed then a cage then an ice pack, the agreed upon sequence that meant that her wizard was on enforced bed rest for the moment. The second and third repetition slightly confused the elf until Nagini made him look at her Speakers still sleeping in bed. The elf brightened in understanding and nodded vigorous, silent, agreement. There would be three breakfasts in bed and the trio was on bed rest.

Nagini hissed in quiet thought as she skimmed through the familiar book. Just keeping the trio on elf enforced bed rest wasn't going to be enough. Making a decision the serpent indicated a goblin image and then a healer image before tapping on a question mark to indicate request rather than vital need. She would much prefer the blond female healer who's nest they were staying in but she also knew that her first speaker could and would bully her into letting him do some work instead of properly resting. The goblin healers tended to be more sturdy in the face of his upset. Besides, her Tom wasn't the only one who needed checking.

Closing the picture book with her tail the mothering serpent sent the elf on its way to follow her directions before returning to the bed to rejoin her charges. The day was going to be _interesting_ after all and watching them sleepily cuddle was _cute_.


	4. Chapter 4

Voldemort slowly drifted up to wakefulness. He was warm and cuddled against two solid forms that somehow made him feel safe. It was the safety and distant soft hissing that brought him fully, yet gently, awake.

"~Good morning my Hatchling,~" Nagini hissed in amusement at the still sleepy Dark Lord.

"~Morning, Nagi,~" Voldemort hissed back as he shuffled himself out of the warm covers and into the bathroom for a hot shower. Not even Nagini denied him his morning hot shower unless he was physically too injured to have one. It was his morning indulgence and gave him a chance to safely wake up without hexing everything in sight.

The movement of the Dark Lord getting out of bed woke the other two, the sleeping spell having worn off after he had joined them in bed the previous night. This resulted in a quiet scuffle after the bathroom door shut as Severus instinctively moved to pin Harry under him. Harry, not yet awake, fought back quietly but viciously and had to be quietly calmed by the older man after being pinned as he finished waking up. Severus, on the other hand, had woken up far more quickly than his companions as he rolled to pin his charge in an attempt to keep him from setting off their host who was definitely _not_ a morning person.

"You _will_ let me protect you while we are here," Severus said sternly yet softly into Harry's ear. "I refuse to see you dead."

The sudden pressure on their legs had them both freeze before Harry could respond. With dread they both looked towards what was sitting on their lower limbs.

"~If you think I or Tom will let you go, think again,~" Nagini hissed with soft menace. She was very firmly coiled over and around their legs, trapping them in place. The technique had been developed to make her first Speaker _listen_ when he was being particularly stubborn. "~You are forever more a part of our nest. Eventually, we will seek mates for you both but until you learn you are a part of our nest we will treat you like unruly hatchlings not yet ready to explore. Nestmates rest together until mating and leaving with their mate to a new nest. You are lucky we are a magical nest or you might have been devoured as a threat to the nest instead of adopted.~"

The last bit caused the pair to swallow hard and nod slowly in reluctant acceptance.

"~Stay in the bed-nest,~ " Nagini ordered before moving off of them to curl up in a nearby chair, her often normal morning observation perch. Opting to observe anything further to see if she needed to issue more orders to the house brownies.

The pair waited a minute to see what she would do before carefully separating and sitting up on the bed, observing first her and then each other.

"Potter, I owe you an apology," Severus said uncomfortably. "I assumed you were aware of the family feud that your father initiated with me while we were in school. As he was underage at the time he needed to confirm it again after his majority and it would have received its third confirmation from you considering when he and Lily... well. It is now clear to me that you, in fact, did not issue the final confirmation even if your father probably did issue the second. My actions as a result, even with Dumbledore threatening me with Azkaban or the Dark Faction deciding that I was a traitor if I did not go after you, were completely out of line. I... would like to try to start over with you if I may?"

"Okay, working under death threats that you actually can't stop is something I totally understand," Harry admitted with a grimace, thinking of his time at the Dursleys. He still had the belt marks across his back and a couple of knife scars to remind him of likely very similar situations at Private Drive to what Snape had just briefly described. The feud thing was something he still hadn't learned about but it was clear that the snarky man was dropping it so he didn't worry too much about it just then.

"Oh?" Severus asked, eyes narrowing in suspicious thought.

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry said quickly. A moment's thought had him deciding that a blank slate or at least a try at not pushing each other's buttons wasn't a bad idea. "A new start? Yeah, alright."

"Good, I wont have you fighting each other," Voldemort agreed as he stepped out of the still steaming bathroom in new robes. He had left the door cracked as he cleaned up in case the other two needed to be separated or stuck to the bed or something. As a result he had heard the entire exchange and was quite happy with the truce.

Nagini observed carefully off to one side from her chair, not yet interfering. Oh she still planed to enforce bed rest but letting them get cleaned up and wake up properly made gauging them easier. Besides, they had to be checked by the healer if she was going to avoid worrying over them enough to pull rank. She didn't do it often but the times she did kept her hatchling from half killing himself. It was also something she would have to establish with her new Speakers. Although, the leg trapping trick worked quite well this morning already. The elves wouldn't enforce her bed rest order until they delivered breakfast in any case.

"Now, while you are officially my captives I think I might have a solution to avoid being forced into killing Potter," Voldemort offered slyly.

"What?! How?? Please tell me!" Harry immediately asked. He hated being hunted and needing to fight for his life!

Severus swallowed hard and tried to slide across the bed, closer to his charge. Voldemort gave the man an amused look but didn't object. He _had_ demanded the man swear an oath to protect Potter after all.

"I can blood adopt you," Voldemort offered, refusing to let himself think on _why_ he was jumping straight from the original idea of a simple truce to all out adoption. He also wasn't going to admit that now he had the other two Parselmouths he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Beyond getting them checked out as healthy and protecting them from the "Light", one of the best ways of which was simply to make them family, he hadn't a clue what to do. It would take him time to re-write his plans and possibly talk the two into helping. Hopefully he would have that time... hopefully.

Severus made a sound of shock and dismay before quickly cutting it off. Voldemort gave him an interested look. Did the other man harbor some wish to adopt the brat himself? Well, he could accommodate that he supposed. Of course it could be in regards to the Parsel Oath and the protection based Unbreakable Vow that the oath had revealed. He would find out in time. Both wizards were _his_ now after all.

"~I suggest you return to the bed-nest and let them have a turn in the water room,~" Nagini hissed lazily. "~The small squeaky ones noticed your tiredness and decided on bed rest for all three of you today. They will be bringing your early sun food soon.~"

Voldemort cursed before quickly ushering the other two into the bathroom. They could share while he sorted out clean clothes for them and shrank them appropriately. He knew the elves had some how figured out a way to communicate with his familiar but he had yet to figure out _how_. He had absolutely no doubt that the elves had been given _orders_ after he retired for the night. If the three of them weren't in bed when breakfast finally arrived they might not get a chance to _leave_ the bed before breakfast the next day!

Severus and Harry only needed an exchanged glance to pick who was washing and who was using the toilet first. It was nice that they were being allowed to clean up and not being shoved into a dungeon cell. A bit of a shock to find that they were sharing quarters with their primary captor but... nice. They didn't bother trying to figure out if the threat of bed rest from Nagini was real since Voldemort had clearly taken it as a given once informed. The pair was done quickly, not having bothered to take extra time beyond their hurried wash and dressing in provided shrunken clothes that clearly came from their host's own wardrobe.

As a result they were just barely climbing back into bed when the popping sound of elves and breakfast arriving echoed through the room.

"Master Lord beings naughty," the lead elf that had popped in glowered at them, easily able to tell they had been out of bed and moving around. "Master Lord is waitings for breky befores Goblin's Healer beings checking hims and new wizards!"

"Yes, Lindsey," Voldemort agreed quickly. Normally he would get up and get ready for the day _then_ call for breakfast. He was, however, grateful that Nagini had thought to have the elves call a Gringotts Healer, it had completely slipped his mind yesterday and he needed to have both Harry and Severus checked.

Elf Lindsey glowered at her charge. Technically, she should be called Riddle Lindsey as she was bonded to the Dark Lord and he had never bothered to change his legal and magical name. It was, however, acceptable for a bonded elf to go by Elf in the case of a hidden family as long as they were, in fact, bonded. Those house elf-brownies bonded to a magical building or estate took the location name as their formal surname and identifier before their individual name was spoken. Lindsey, along with the other elves bonded directly to the Dark Lord, knew his past as a part of the bonding process. An elf bonded to a family became a part of that family.

Dobby, on the other hand, was one of those rare examples of an elf driven to act by an outside magic and punished for it by both his own magic and the magic of his family. On top of that he was just plain odd and it made him an outcast as the conflicting magics would eventually kill him along with possibly everyone near him. Unless he found a balance between the conflicting magics, something nearly impossible to accomplish, his elf magic would call out to other elves begging for his death. This happened in an attempt to keep him from harming a child or killing someone he was supposed to protect.

"Whats is new wizards being?" Lindsey asked as they were finally served their breakfast trays in bed. She needed to know if they were his lovers, his captives, or something else altogether. It would change how the elves responded to them.

" _Mine_ ," Voldemort said firmly. He wanted it clearly understood that the pair belonged to him personally. "If they wish to leave they must clear it with me first. They can defend themselves or each other, once I return their wands, but may not otherwise cast spells against anyone. For now they are restricted to my rooms, the library, and the dining room for meals. No outside contact and any mail gets read by me. I will handle any punishments personally."

Severus and Harry exchanged uncertain looks as they silently started in on their food. They hadn't expected to get their wands back at any point much less be allowed to use them, even if only for defense. As far as they knew, even with the deal in place, they were permanent prisoners and only the odd way they had been handled had them as compliant as they had been.

"Very goods Master Lord," Lindsey squeaked and they popped away, leaving the three to their breakfast and a very smugly watching Nagini.


	5. Chapter 5

"~Are you going to insist that we stay in bed until the healer you called for arrives or was breakfast in bed acceptable?~" Voldemort asked grumpily. They had finished their food and the dishes had been magically removed.

"~That depends, are you going to be difficult about your own check up?~" Nagini hissed pensively.

"~I don't need one!~" Voldemort hissed back in outrage.

"~You do if you want to keep the other Speakers,~" Nagini told him flatly, her tone accepting no argument. Her first hatchling grumbled a bit but eventually gave her a reluctant nod of agreement. Nagini, in turn, gave a satisfied hiss and didn't object when Voldemort got the other two out of bed.

"Up! Strip, both of you," Voldemort ordered with a glower aimed at his familiar.

"No," Harry said flatly even as he got out of their joint bed. He was tense and, to Severus' eye, ready to bolt.

"It has nothing to do with anything indecent," Voldemort grumbled. "I simply need to see what damage we will be fixing. It isn't like I wont find out when the healer arrives. Not to mention the fact that we will be sleeping in the same bed, platonically, from now on. In any case I... can't have sex, perhaps ever again. Wormtail botched the ritual potion too much. The cost of my resurrection."

Harry looked over at his potions professor and posed the obvious, to him, question. "How bad was he at potions?"

"Lupin was the only one of the group who had any real skill in the art," Severus scowled darkly. A quick wandless spell had both himself and his charge naked but for their boxers. Harry barely had the chance to realize what the coolness of air against his skin meant before Voldemort hit them both with canceling and revealing spells to strop away any glamours. The shocked silence at the marks laid bare on the skin of both captives had Harry fighting not to physically cringe. As it was he refused to look at them.

"He's too thin," Voldemort commented so blandly that it made Harry mentally flinch.

"I... don't know that I can heal all of this," Severus said with a hard swallow. He, himself, was on the too thin side but he wasn't so light as to clearly show his own ribs through taunt papery skin matched to hollow cheeks.

"We will wait for the healer to decide that. I will grant you access to a potions lab for brewing. You will work with the healer to get you _both_ back to a decent level of health. Narcissa may act as your official monitor but I know for a fact that you maintain a similar certification," Voldemort said stiffly. "If I have to treat you like children to ensure that you are healthy I will."

Harry could feel the rage building behind his scar and knew that he was going to be screaming or unconscious or both before all of this was over.

"Noted," Severus answered, mouth dry as he approached his clearly skittish charge. The moment he touched Harry the younger wizard tried to blindly bolt only to find himself caught up in strong arms, one set bare and one set clad in black robe sleeves. It was the last straw, Harry fought back as tears silently streamed down his face, blinding him even as he sightlessly struck out at the two older men.

"~Sorely wounded hatchling,~" Nagini hissed in sympathy as the older two wizards were forced to subdue him, holding him close in their arms. She watched as the pair looked up into the other's face in distress at the condition of the youngest as he struggled futily in their arms.

Harry's ribs and bones jutting through his flesh. The concealing illusions now ripped away to reveal how little of the scarred flesh he truly had to clad his bones. Eventually, Harry drooped in their grasp. Unable to keep up his original frantic struggle with still silent tear tracks marking his face the teen surrendered to their gentle yet firm hold.

"I don't care what excuse Dumbledore or anyone else gives he's not going back," Severus half snarled. "If that means I blood adopt him and claim him under both the life debt owed to his father and the blood sworn bond I had with his mother then I will do it before the sunsets this day! On my life and magic do I swear this!"

"By your oath so mote it be!" Voldemort's voice cracked out, laced with power, accepting the declaration of intent to adopt the teen in their arms. "From this day forwards you are both counted under the protection of the House of Slytherin, the House of Peverell, the House of Gaunt, and the House of Riddle. Any who seek to do you harm must also contend with _me_ as the family Lord! You are _mine_!"

Severus hissed and Harry twitched as they were engulfed in the man's magic. A slight pain in the Dark Mark and the scar from the Resurrection Ritual signaled the change in their status. The magic lingered, changing the brand from a serpent and skull into a royal blue cobra with flared hood wrapped protectively around a black panther and its cub. Harry's ritual scar, unable to change in the same fashion due to the lingering ritual magic, became outlined in royal blue with a black panther curled around a cub closer to the body. The blue scar very clearly shielded the black panther pair of parent and child protectively.

"My two wounded panthers," Voldemort whispered as he hugged them both close. His grip on them calmed his previously building rage back into low burning embers. He would get whoever did this to the pair but for the moment they were safe in his arms, hidden away in his rooms, guarded by himself and his familiar. It would have to be enough until he could utterly destroy those who had hurt his panthers.

"~My hatchlings,~" Nagini affirmed, circling them as she flared her own magic to officially add her claim to the nearly naked pair alongside her stubborn first Speaker.

"Well, that's one way to make sure my new patients are taken care of," a woman's voice said archly.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, that's one way to make sure my new patients are taken care of," a woman's voice said archly.

Voldemort was already turning with a snarl, magic building to strike at the intruder even as he shoved his panthers behind him before he registered the bright green robes the brunette woman wore. She was completely unremarkable visibly aside from being dressed in the green robes of a healer with the healer's symbol of a wand crossed with a bone on her left breast next to the Gringotts crest. The Gringotts healer had arrived and seen practically the whole thing, unable to interfere as the small glaring elf at her side attested to.

"Are you going to let me examine any of them any time soon?" the healer asked, completely unimpressed by his growling and ready magic. It wasn't like this was the first time she had to deal with grumpy patients after all.

"Youse bes checking _all_ of thems!" the elf squeaked in outrage.

"My mistake," the healer said with barely a blink. Her wand was out even faster and the trio found themselves levitated onto the bed, separated, and hit with a petrificus totalus each.

The next half hour resulted in them being scanned repeatedly in as many different ways as Severus knew with his own healers certificate and then some. The few diagnostics that Voldemort recognized got him many a glower from the very thorough healer. The joint glow of Harry's scar linked to Voldemort himself made him swallow hard. The thought of previously being determined to utterly destroy the holder of a piece of his own _soul_ was unnerving and made him feel physically ill. Yes, it confirmed his suspicions from their conversation during the raid. It also explained to him, at least in part why he was feeling so much better with both Harry and Nagini nearby compared to what he had been feeling since the resurrection ritual.

"First, whoever the _hell_ had duty of care or guardianship of the teen before now is in for a world of pain when I and Gringotts catch up with them!" the healer growled, utterly furious. "Second, Dark Lord or not you are an idiot for splitting your soul. Thankfully, the first artifact you made was destroyed before you got the new body. That combined with being near the snake and the teen has helped heal you a bit and reduced your insanity level to just painfully eccentric instead of burn the world level. I recommend keeping them both near you from now on to reduce the risk of a relapse. Alternatively, fetch the ones that aren't here and reabsorb the next two biggest pieces. In case you thought you were only slicing off a sliver, as most idiots who actually make the attempt at this ritual do, you were wrong and split it in _half_ each time. Gringotts is willing to aid in fixing this travesty of magic and soul under certain conditions."

"~That... does not sound good,~" Nagini hissed warily. She had allowed the temporary imprisonment of her hatchling Speakers in favor of getting them healed. She had done so with the full confidence of being able to protect them or sending the elves to rescue them at need if kidnapped.

Unaware of what the serpent familiar had said the healer continued her furious lecture.

"One, you will be on permanent retainer as an expert in human soul magics with a 35% pay scale of the final transaction as a permanent fine for your idiocy. Two, all existing soul anchors are to be examined by a Goblin Expert who will also retrain you in the aspects of the magics involved that you clearly ignored or where unaware of. Three, if you wish goblin aid in correcting your form you will owe Gringotts 3 unspecified services to be called upon at the bank's discretion. No arguments. Finally, you are to swear an oath on your _soul_ that at no point in time shall you _ever_ again reduce yourself to below half a soul. This is to be enforced beyond question unless the situation is in the defense of the goblin people or the magical world as a whole. The specific classification of which is an apocalypse level event or above," the healer icily informed her captive patient, the Dark Lord. "You are just lucky that I am attempting a second mastery in order to get on one of the Curse-Breaker teams or this could have been so much worse. I will let you think about it as I go over the report on your companions. Before moving forwards on _any_ treatment I will need to know certain things. Things such as exactly _why_ both you and Mr. Potter have Phoenix Tears and Basilisk Venom from the same creatures in your blood with additional traces of untreated Acromantula Venom."

All three wizards lay there stunned, still trapped under the charm, as they processed the confirming knowledge of the two highly poisonous venoms and healing tears. Powerful substances lingering in the blood of the eldest and youngest wizards of which Nagini had identified two out of three by their personal scents alone. To say that Severus was concerned was an understatement while Harry just mentally sighed at the weirdness that was his life.

"As for you sir," the healer said, turning her scowl on Severus. "It is clear that you aren't taking care of yourself but your health history is what I find most concerning. Most of it has already been properly treated, thank god, but I want you to take a nerve regenerator daily for the next week paired with nutrition potions and rest. You are also required to have something at every meal time even if its just a sandwich. Nutrition potions are not to replace meals. Yes, they give you the nutrients but not the energy from the fuel that is the food the body eats. A daily dose of at least a Knut to Sickle sized piece of chocolate that has both coco and coco butter in it for the next three months will help fix what the potions can't quite cover."

Deciding that they were suitably cowed and would listen to the rest of her instructions she released them from the restraint spell.

"Now for the hardest one of you to treat," the healer said with a grimace aimed at his injuries. The Dark Lord's soul mess was complicated, _expensive_ , and dangerous if done wrongly but not the hardest set of treatments. Harry was going to need a great deal of medical care even if no one but the healer realized it as yet.

"Hardest?" Severus asked, trying not to choke on his shock before quickly Occluding his mind to control his emotions better. One too many blows to his emotional equilibrium in 48 hours had him almost twitchy, _especially_ when it came to Harry.

The Healer gave the Potions Master an inscrutable look before continuing with what she had been saying.

"I will outline a diet and potions schedule. He isn't currently strong enough with enough reserves to re-break and properly set the bones which have healed wrong. We will start with more bland foods with very lean meats. It should be easier on his system. Plenty of snacks involving peanut butter, milk, fruits, and juices. If he has trouble with the meats give him peanut butter as the replacement protein until he can stomach them safely. Toast seasoned as he pleases but with a heavy encouragement after at least a week to use jams in the morning. As long as he can stomach something he can try eating it but start the heavier fare at small amounts with liberal bland foods and cooked yet largely unseasoned vegetables or fruits in some form. Introducing too much or too strong seasoning could be disastrous if done too early," The healer said sternly. "Rice, porridge, mashed potatoes... things easily eaten. The butter, or milk in the mashed potatoes, normally added to those things will help enrich the foods without putting too much strain on his system. Cheese works as well but limit it as it is sometimes harder to eat depending upon how its aged and how well the person normally consumes milk products."

"Potions?" Severus asked with a sinking sense of dread. Simply hearing the diet plan made him sick as it made him even more aware of Harry's uncovered malnutrition. He would have to check over the final medical file she would be leaving with them to see if anything else could be done or if he could tweak some of the potions to work better.

"Nutrient potions for at least six months at every meal. Food absorbers as well but only for the first two months or until he can eat a normal plate full of food. A nerve regenerator for the same time as yourself, a week," the healer recited for the potions master. "Calcium supplements in particular, daily for at least a month. Muscle regenerators and organ repair potions for at least a week after the first three months of the rest of it as he will have the nutrient resources at that point. The bones can be fixed a few days after the month of calcium supplements is finished."

"I've... already started on the food bit," Harry told her, refusing to look at anyone. "I have to do it every time I come back to Hogwarts. It was just... worse than usual this summer."

"Headquarters?" Severus asked quietly.

"It wasn't hard to hide how little I was actually eating with the Weasleys there," Harry explained uncomfortably. "I burn through a lot of my magic during the summer to keep going and get my chores done without food and water when I'm under punishment."

"Bed rest for a week, and a great deal of taking it easy for at least a month. No magic in that time," the healer scowled. clearly displeased at this new bit of news.

"Are the Venoms and Tears going to be a problem for either of them?" Severus asked, completely professional in that moment.

"I don't know," the healer admitted. "The Basilisk Venom at least should have killed them both. The tears seem to both be feeding off of it and keeping it at bay. The Acromantula Venom... well it appears to have been largely neutralized by the Basilisk Venom."

"And the soul thingy?" Harry asked warily. The soul thing would explain the weird connection and dreams if nothing else but he wasn't sure he wanted to _keep_ it. Besides he wanted a clearer answer than her rant over Voldemort's stupidity.

"Honestly? We get someone every half century or so who tries Herpo the Foul's little immortality stunt. It happens often enough and is dangerous enough that the price is fixed. Every Gringotts healer is instructed in both detection of the ritual and who to inform if the subject opts to correct their error. Alternatively, Gringotts eliminates the person as an open threat to the Goblin Nation due to the mental instability factor when they refuse," the healer told them with a sigh. "It isn't as much of a factor in this instance as his clear genius level intelligence combined with having placed two of his pieces in other living beings created a stabilizing effect. Or at least it did once he regained a body. His wraith form would have maintained a disturbing, possibly dangerous, insanity level until it regained a body or one of its pieces did and assumed the role of primary soul piece. It was something which I only caught because those particular scans have an area of effect large enough to cover the room. This was combined with the fact that two of the soul pieces are in the snake and Potter respectively who are, obviously, in the room."

"Is it possible to remove it?" Harry asked in a very small voice.

"No, not for you or the snake. The only way to remove it and thus break any linked connection is for you to die," the healer said bluntly. "The pieces stored in inanimate objects will be required for examination. I can tell you right now that fixing this mess is going to be a nightmare. Legally, you _must_ be under the Dark Lord's control to some extent because you hold a portion of his soul. He also counts as your closest living relative even if your blood hadn't clearly been used when creating him a new body. Any attempt to remove you from his care now that I have made him aware of your status is tantamount to an assassination attempt on both of you on par with feeding you to a Dementor. Its _necessary_ for his sanity and to help keep you healthy. If you return to Hogwarts for the rest of your schooling you need to spend every weekend with him for the health of both of you, his sanity and your more normal health. I will provide a health certificate to that effect and file the required paperwork at Gringotts."

"I... stabilized quickly after a bout of exhaustion once I joined them, platonically, in bed," Voldemort admitted. "Normally, since my re-embodiment, it takes several days to recover. It only took a single night sleeping in the same bed this time."

"One or both of them?" the healer asked curiously.

"Nagini was in bed with the three of us but she tends to stay toward the outside edge or the foot of the bed unless she has settled in front of the fireplace," Voldemort admitted. "I had put them both to bed and cast a sleeping spell after... well after a private discussion. I wasn't entirely sure why I wasn't willing to just lock them in a guestroom instead of putting them in my own bed and quarters. I knew I needed to keep them safe and secure but beyond that I honestly didn't understand why I placed them _here_ instead of elsewhere."

"Do you know why? Nagini, the snake, kept saying stuff about dominance and us being adopted into the nest..." Harry asked curiously. It hadn't occurred to him that the Dark Lord didn't actually have a solid reason for keeping them literally with him.

"I don't know a whole lot about her breed of serpent. Magical I presume?" the healer said thoughtfully, with Voldemort nodding wary confirmation to the magical assumption before she continued. "It could very well be a natural part of her particular species culture. I know that non-magical Rattle Snakes over in the Colonies tend towards having something close to colonies and family, staying together without issue in fairly large communities. I'm not sure which specific species of Rattle Snakes do that but the son of an old friend is just obsessed with snakes currently. Hopefully he will grow out of at least describing their eating habits when I'm over for tea and chats with his mother. In any case finding such a strong representation in a non-magical animal makes it highly likely to pop up at least once far more strongly in a magical version. Dominance probably means who is in charge in this case and pointing out that you are coming into _her_ nest and the nest of _her_ wizard so you can't be allowed to be in charge and that you need to know that."

"Is there anything you need to do immediately?" Severus asked with professional courtesy.

"No. I just need an answer on if Gringotts is going to help fix the soul mess. Legally, as the Dark Lord has technically been reborn, he can't be charged for anything that happened before he got his new body. He was also very insane until recently and thus not entirely culpable for his actions," the healer shrugged. Once she filed her report the goblin warriors were going to have a field day hunting down the bastards responsible for the clear abuse of these three men as well as those responsible for noticing and correcting such situations. Thankfully the extended discussion had helped her calm down just, as she had noticed, as it had helped her patients to calm down. Although, the Dark Arts department was going to throw a royal fit over the stupid ritual getting out again and the latest screw ups connected to it.

The exam wrapped up with an official agreement for treatment on the Horcrux issue. The healer left behind firm instructions and a copy of their files for their more normal healer to look over. She had a Wild Hunt to set in motion. Her patients were safely protected by the Dark Lord's people and she wanted to gut the idiots who had thought that hurting any child like the health history reports had shown was a good idea. Blood would be spilled over this before all was marked done.


	7. Chapter 7

Voldemort frowned over his paperwork before glancing towards where his two panthers were. Harry and Severus were both curled up reading, having taken the prescribed potions and eaten lunch with him not more than two hours ago. He would have to let Severus brew what other potions were needed for the three of them before the day was over but it was also clear they all needed rest. The healer from the day before had provided the first couple of doses out of a special bag linked to the potions storage room that Gringotts maintained for its healers.

The pair wasn't going anywhere and Voldemort was clearly never reassigning Severus unless absolutely necessary. Harry was going to need the protection that having both older wizards nearby and on his side would provide. Once the medical decree reached the rest of the school staff there was going to be a nasty uproar. He would need to get Severus to agree to housing Harry in his teachers quarters during that time. As he was going to go to Harry at times instead of always making Harry come to him to keep their bond fresh it would also be easier to arrive and leave through Severus' floo. Hopefully, he could talk the imp into getting a resort into Slytherin but he wasn't banking on it unless the entire school went insane and turned on his horcrux. Then too the children of his minions could help keep Harry safe but he would have to get them on at least speaking terms.

"~Stop fretting,~" Nagini hissed at her first hatchling, content as she lounged on the heated stones in front of the fire.

"~I have to assume that I can't keep them locked up,~" Voldemort explained with a sigh. "~The green-eyed imp is far too good at escaping things to make it work. Then too he needs to finish his learning before things get too dangerous. I can argue the he needs to be fully healthy before letting him out but those arguments will only get his compliance for so long. He still doesn't trust me and rightfully so. Until I can get him to feel safe around me and willingly accept my authority I have to assume that the old goat and his people will get to him. Even without him holding a piece of my soul... loosing Harry, willingly or not, will be devastating to say nothing of what it could do to Harry himself. I would _love_ to just lock him away in safety but it just wont work. I have to sort out something else before we have to make an appearance outside the defenses of these walls. It wont be long before Madam Bones finds out that I was telling the truth and might demand a meeting or get that official meeting under truce magics set up. Both of which they will have to attend.~"

"~My presence will not help unless I am hidden in a small form in the robes of one of them,~" Nagini concluded, clearly displeased. "~I will not suffer another serpent in our nest until I take a mate. It is a pity you cannot make their skin have a fast strike to bring them back to the nest or at least track them if things go wrong.~"

"~Fast strike...? Oh, a transport spell or a speed enhancer of some kind and tracking spells, embedded in the skin... Severus has one after a fashion but it changed when we claimed them. Both have, on their arms, a blue shield to mark me and their status with me as well as the two panther tattoos to mark each other and their own status. It almost completely erased the magics in the Dark Mark and ritual scar that was there before the claiming. No, Nagini, I can't do that,~" Voldemort explained after verbally working out what she had meant. "~There isn't time and re-marking them both with my Dark Mark would be... counter productive even if I moved its location. I would need to rework the entire mark and we likely wont have the time. I can give them something to wear always instead but getting them to wear it might be... tricky.~"

"~Panther Hatchlings, you will both wear the thing that my Tom will give you to help keep you safe,~" Nagini just flatly ordered the pair who were pretending not to eavesdrop.

"Mine will have to be an anklet or something that I can slip under my robes," Severus said quietly. He wasn't going to argue the point and he would really prefer not to get another tattoo without a long discussion involved.

"Mine too," Harry grimaced. "Rings always seemed to get in the way from how everyone who has them fumbles in class and people will notice if I start wearing stuff. I never had them before and the tattoos are going to be hard enough to explain."

"Anklet and arm bands? Necklaces?" Voldemort mused aloud. "I will have to think on it. For now if we need to attend such a meeting before I can get a proper one commissioned I will give you something before we leave the manor. We will leave drastic things such as embedded portkeys and tattoos for future discussion and as strictly emergency measures."

The two other wizards nodded before going back to their books. The enforced rest was already doing them both good. Hopefully, they would be safe should such an emergency meeting be arranged. Voldemort wasn't going to count on it though and the pair would not be leaving his side if they did have to attend such a meeting.

Time would tell. Time would tell.

*+ovo+*

Three days after the Hogsmeade hostage incident...  
Amelia Bones could not believe what she was hearing. Not only did Fudge continue to insist that the Dark Lord didn't exist but he wanted the man's captives from the Hogsmeade incident legally declared traitors! Despite the ample evidence of the raid over the weekend and the submitted certified health checks on both Potter and Snape, which she had insisted on. Thankfully, the bastard couldn't unilaterally declare the pair as traitors for protecting the rescued students and staff members of Hogwarts and the few captured villagers.

On top of that those same health checks showed a disturbing health trend in the pair any way that had her opening up investigations on where exactly they had received the majority of certain injuries. She was just grateful (grateful to the Dark Lord of all people!) that a full in depth health history had been insisted on for the report. She was also suddenly very happy that Child Abuse and Child Neglect had no statute of limitations in the Wizarding World. The old wounds recorded on these two captive wizards' health histories made her sick. It was just too bad that Snape's parents were already dead and Dumbledore was so fiercely protecting whoever Potter had been living with. She couldn't issue the warrant without names after all. It made her oddly glad for the medical declaration that officially transferred Potter's custody over to the Dark Lord and demanded frequent contact between the two. She may not be a trained healer but this wasn't the first time that magic manifested if a frankly _weird_ fashion. Custody changes under the heading of magic gone strange were perfectly legal, thankfully.

"Madam Bones! The muggle books you asked us to pick up and check through!" one of her Aurors said breathlessly as he rushed up to her in the halls of the Ministry on her way to the cafeteria for lunch.

"What about them?" Amelia asked with dread, her heart sinking at the look of horror on the Auror's face.

"Ma'am, whoever told you what to look for... well they were right," the Auror stuttered out.

Amelia closed her eyes in dismay and resignation. Taking a deep breath she thought hard about her options. She especially had to contend with the legal fact that the only thing she could actually charge the, now certifiably sane, Dark Lord with was the actual raid she had negotiated over. This... was going to be a _nightmare_.

"I want every Auror and Trainee not on a priority case to gather the Wizengamot Members, with their heirs if possible, and all Department heads are to report to the Wizengamot Chambers without delay. We have a bigger problem than a Dark Lord and they need to see the report _now_! And find out where the hell Dumbledore got to!" Amelia ordered flatly. "He wasn't at the school when this mess kicked off and McGonagall could only tell me that he was off on ICW (International Confederation of Wizards) business! As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot I want him here _yesterday_ , damn it!"

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) didn't bother to lower her voice as she snapped out orders. As a result her voice echoed down the corridor into sudden, brief, silence before a cacophony exploded as people scrambled to obey and the news raced down the Ministry gossip lines. She didn't care as long as the people she had designated showed up to hear the full report. Voldemort was right, damn him!

The other frightening thing? Voldemort had included a sanity certificate with a semi-complete explanation on the fact that he had been technically insane before graduating Hogwarts, insanity which was now largely fixed. Included in the package of official documents for her was a packet of emergency plans that could be used if things exploded. Plans, in some cases, that featured him and Potter prominently _if_ they could get the idiots playing at lies and backstabbing that called themselves _politicians_ to cooperate.

As much as Amelia hated the Dark Lord's "test" of their society, started during his insane but brilliant phase, she could already tell they would need him and his people to fix this or possibly prepare for a _real_ war. Hopefully they had the time to try.

"Parkins! Get the Goblin representative and contact the Centaur representative! Tell them and the Vampire Council we need them here asap! They are going to want to hear this. Michels! Issue a missive to all registered magical family heads informing them of a discovered threat to their family and tell them about the emergency meeting. If they can get here then they need to be here and if they can't they need to show up within 48 hours to hear the record. People, we are on a Code Split Fate! As of now the entire Ministry is on Emergency Duty with a security lock level Red 3. Follow your department's plan for it and when done report to the Emergency Department for temporary reassignment as needed!" Amelia barked out at various people. She was moving down the hall towards her office and already knew that calling an emergency meeting like this was going to turn into a royal clusterfuck.

"As much as this is going to screw me over... do you want me to contact the Dark Lord?" Auror John Dwalish offered hesitantly.

Amelia closed her eyes, fending off a headache, and sighed before turning on her Senior Auror and answering him flatly, a honed edge of steel in her voice and fury shining in her eyes. " _You_ are on probation... and removed from any investigation that the Dark Lord or his people are a part of. Cases which you will report on if you happen to be placed in connection with any of them as a conflict of interest. As to notifying him... Yes, tell him I need him here _with_ Potter and Snape but that I can not promise safe passage because of Fudge and Dumbledore. So I _recommend_ seeing to his own security. I also politely request that if we find our groups at odds that he stick to non-lethal so that I have a chance at arguing for a future meeting _with_ safe passage. This is going to be the ultimate test for this department to know if he's serious about those emergency plans he sent me to look at and serious about _fixing_ all of this."

"If we, the dark faction, prove that we are?" Dwalish asked cautiously.

"Then we talk," Amelia said grimly. "There are a great many laws on the books that aren't getting enforced like they should be. The entire department might just have to... brush up on those laws. Hell, most of the objection we have with the dark faction is the killing, torture, and continued attempts at genocide and/or enslavement! If those weren't there we'd be going after _Dumbledore_ 's little club for how much damage they tend to do. He's just the only person who has proven themselves able to fight your _Lord_ to a draw!"

"That's... not entirely true. Potter can. Yeah, he's not fully trained and its mostly a scramble on his part but whatever happens he always manages to stop the Dark Lord even when his sanity was... questionable. Convince Potter to help keep the Dark Lord from doing something extreme and even if he can't talk him out of it he has a... knack for ruining whatever the plan was with little loss of life if any. Its not often talked about," Dwalish explained carefully, staring pointedly at a wall. Explaining all of this was going to get him _crucioed_ without question but it was a chance he had to take! "We still haven't gotten solid details on those incidents but there is a quiet suspicion among the ranks that whatever he does it's what is responsible for the Dark Lord's mind beginning to heal. The Dark Lord wasn't _sane_ at the end of the last war and we couldn't fix it. The magics in the loyalty oath stopped us from stopping him and mostly kept our mouths shut. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't killed me for saying what I have."

"Because it falls under trying to get an ally you idiot," Lucius Malfoy snarled as he stalked up and smacked the chatty Auror. "He still hasn't convinced Potter to stick around and this could help with that. You are lucky the magics consider neutralizing Potter as a threat and at least getting him neutral overall to be more important than spilling unconfirmed suspicions from among the rank and file! Besides, the healer confirmed his current sanity. Something which Madam Bones was sent a certificate as proof that he was checked and cleared."

"You are being awfully open about this," Amelia observed guardedly.

"I was tried and found innocent but that doesn't mean the magics aren't still present. There is, after all, a _reason_ we tend to fight so viciously not to answer questions regardless of when we took the mark or why," Lucius pointed out dryly. He would not actively admit to being in contact with the Dark Lord but then he didn't really need to. Backroom politics aside he had always been a major recruiter and the political head of their faction, the public face. Besides, they had no proof he had done anything illegal and thus couldn't arrest or charge him for it. Then too the Dark Mark did have a few very _lethal_ fail safes.

Madam Bones glared but grudgingly conceded the point. She _really_ wanted an excuse to cuff him and dose him with veritaserum. A shout calling her name brought her back to the disaster at hand. Save the world first _then_ see about getting some truth serum into Malfoy. Priorities people, priorities.


	8. Chapter 8

The first hint to Fudge that something out of his control was happening was the way his office locked down, keeping him from his much anticipated lunch with Lord Malfoy. The second was the way that the enchanted crest hidden behind the seal of the Ministry of magic burned away the Ministry seal hiding it and the tapestry he had hiding the seal on top of it. The third was the way he watched, in disbelief, from across the room as his official seal of the Minister _melted_ into a bronze puddle of molten metal on his desk. It scorched both desk and set alight a few of the nearby papers that he knew focused on his more behind the scenes endeavors. The actually official paperwork all remained untouched and safe from the burning of the molten metal even when touching the puddle now cooling on his desk.

A sick feeling began to build in Fudge's gut and the last thing he heard was the magically enhanced booming voice of someone unknown screaming traitor in his ears as everything went black.

In a quiet office across the ministry building a new seal formed out of thin air, sitting next to the official Bones family crest on the desk of one Amelia Bones.

*+ovo+*

Griphook stared in disbelief at the message from the Ministry, the actual Ministry rather than the Department of Magical Creatures, sitting in the hand of the panting Auror Trainee acting as a live messenger. First that healer sent to Malfoy Manor arrives back from her job snarling about abused wizardlings and stalking into the _Wild Hunt_ department, now _this_?! All Griphook could think was that the Potter Heir was involved.

"This needs to go to your representative immediately! Its an emergency! Everyone has to be at the meeting!" the trainee panted out desperately.

"Who else are you to deliver a message to?" Griphook demanded as he started leading the Trainee off of the main public floor into the mess of passages where his people worked.

"If I could get Gringotts to send out alerts for the meeting to Family Heads and as many important Faction or People Leaders as possible I was supposed to ask. The meeting everyone needs to get to is supposed to include as many leaders as possible. A threat to all magical peoples has been uncovered!" The Trainee blurted out. "Madam Bones even sent a message with one of the Death Eaters that were hidden in the Aurors to get the Dark Lord for the meeting!"

Griphook, seeing that the young man was serious, changed his direction and headed for the Branch Director's office instead of the representative's office. Whatever happened next was going to be important, Griphook knew. Still he quickly led the Trainee down passage after passage. He briefly wondered if he would ever get the proper story from the confused wizard child that he had first taken to his vault with the oaf Hagrid at his young side.

The explosion of sound and later activity that spawned from the Director's office was nothing compared to the open fury of the healer who had so recently returned from Malfoy Manor. She had, after all, just confirmed that Albus Dumbledore had a significant hand in not only assuring the previous mistreatment of her patients but was probably _still_ doing it. The furious order that locked down the Dumbledore vaults only came _after_ the Director and said same healer had supper together in the breakroom. To say that the Goblin nation and Gringotts bank in particular was furious was quiet the understatement.

Many an owl collapsed in exhaustion by the time of the Emergency meeting.

*+ovo+*

Dumbledore sipped at his fruity drink. It didn't happen often but occasionally he tacked on a few days or a week or two on to his ICW duties in a resort if only to reduce how much stress he was inevitably under. He timed it all very carefully and tried to do it during the school summer holidays. This time around his only chance was during the first Hogsmeade weekend. Knowing that things were likely to go insane around Halloween even if only because of young Mr. Potter's apparent knack for finding trouble every Halloween he took the risk. He just knew that he was going to need his, unfrazzled, wits about him when he got back but until then... sushi sounded good for lunch.

The old wizard would later curse his insistence on a complete communications black out for his rest period.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry slept somewhat peacefully having been knocked out by the sleeping potion from the healer. Unfortunately he could still dream and he had been very aware of who else was in the same bed as him just before the potion kicked in. Thus, it should have been no surprise to anyone that his mind slipped into nightmares.

The first quiet whimper woke both older wizards from their slumber, having learned to be light sleepers as children living in the same building as their tormentors. Both men paused as their minds woke, returning them their memories of the last several days. Severus, having insisted that Harry be on the side of him in bed opposite that of the Dark Lord carefully turned to observe his charge.

"~He stinks of terror,~" Nagini informed them softly, not wanting to unnecessarily wake Harry.

Voldemort swore quietly as Severus reached over to try and wake his son. The touch of his hand sent Harry instinctively rolling away and curling into a protective ball. He barely avoided rolling off of the bed and onto the hard cold marble floor covered by large rich thick Persian rugs.

"No! Please don't hurt me!" Harry begged, still half asleep and clearly terrified.

Severus didn't wait, he pulled Harry into his arms and started humming the same tune he had been taught by Lily as a child. Something deep inside the younger wizard recognized the tune and the protective grip, calming him. He was out like a light inside 30 seconds, never having fully woken from his sleep as the song chased away his night terrors.

"~His magic recognized both of you but I do not think he was hiding from either of you,~" Nagini hissed contemplatively. "~Odd with how I know you have both hurt him in the past. What would terrify him more than what you, my Tom, have done to him?~"

Severus swallowed hard as he recalled why _he_ had no real issue with his so-called fear of the Dark Lord. After all the man had killed his abusive father upon Severus' joining the Dark Sect at Severus' own request. The nightmares of his father coming into his room with a belt or a knife still plagued him nearly 20 years later after the man's death. Those same nightmares that held more terror for him than almost any torture he could possibly face now as an adult. True terror instilled in early childhood was almost always more potent than that which is learned as an adult.

"What?" Voldemort demanded quietly. He had seen Severus' look of realization marked with dread and knew that whatever it was had to be bad.

"You faced war as a child, not... a single or multiple active opponents with complete access and free reign to hurt you. _We_ did," Severus admitted, keeping his eyes on his son sleeping in his lap. "Remember that I asked for my father's death as a new recruit? I gained a measure of closure but I still have nightmares about him coming after me."

It took a minute but the reasons finally dawned on the Dark Lord causing him to swallow down his rage. A rage which made Harry whimper again in his sleep.

"After breakfast we will go to Gringotts and ensure that he never returns there again even should something happen to us," Voldemort said quietly, eyes as hard as flint and voice laced with steel. "The bank sent an emergency notice as Head of the Slytherin family about a meeting this afternoon with Dwalish sending a second one confirming a request for the three of us specifically. The Goblins can arrange for him to never go back on our behalf before we attend the emergency Wizengamot meeting. Apparently they wanted to do it yesterday but had to push it back a day. Dwalish may show up later to officially deliver the message instead of using his emergency contact measure."

They sat there in silence for a bit, Harry unconsciously cuddled against the snarky Potions Master's chest and wrapped in his arms.

"I turned to save Lily. I didn't account for the child as Harry wasn't real to me yet. Upon her death he forced me into an Unbreakable Vow to safeguard Harry. I have been denied access except when he is at school. To keep me obedient both his life and my freedom from Azkaban are held over my head. Either I obey or Harry gets hurt or one of the Slytherins. There are a few other things he uses against me but that is the majority," Severus admitted into the silence of the dark bedroom. "I... was never allowed to get to know him and now he's my son."

Voldemort shifted along the bed and pulled the pair of wizards firmly into his arms as he made all three of them lay down.

"I don't share my things," Voldemort murmured as he held them close. His odd little family, only a few days old, wasn't an exception to his possessiveness and protectiveness. Humming softly they drifted back to sleep.

Nagini watched all of this thoughtfully. She already knew her hatchling had well and truly claimed the other two, spontaneous ritual from a few days ago aside, but the thought of a still existing threat bothered her. She knew it would bother her Tom as well until he removed it with extreme prejudice. Her youngest Speaker Hatchling would have to be watched even more closely.

Breakfast came with the three wizards largely ignoring Harry's nightmares from the night before. They set to eating in Voldemort's private sitting area, as they had been since the Hogsmeade raid. Although Snape's quiet confession from the night before had seen a small change with their breakfast fare. Instead of only catering to Voldemort's meal preferences the table now sported the expensive coffee that Severus favored as well as a larger range of options. Neither of the younger wizards commented but both noticed the change.

"What happened?" Harry asked carefully, eying his fellow diners as he devoured mashed potatoes mixed with sausage pieces and topped with fruit bits. It had been something he created from the available foods rather than pre-made by the house elves. The new fruit tea was rather good too.

"Severus explained the circumstances surrounding why he was already your sworn protector," Voldemort informed him. "Dumbledore tricked him and then trapped him, holding his oath over his head as a leash even as he was kept away from you aside from his duties as your teacher. The situation likely exacerbated any problems between the two of you. There was no betrayal of anyone."

"You could say that," Severus snorted. "Yes, I reacted as if he had sealed the final part of the magical family feud but I also wasn't given a choice in poking at him either. I can guess at several reasons why. Just off the top of my head: fostering a hatred of all things Slytherin, a mask to make it look like nothing had changed which also made me out to be evil, stripping the imp of all possible adult support except that which the Headmaster controlled or authorized, inability to get out of the damned leash in the form of the Unbreakable Vow without it killing me... Yes, there were plenty of reasons why I snapped and snarled at you at Hogwarts, very few of which were actually your fault. Still, my actions were also my own."

"He threatened me to get you to behave or at least obey him..." Harry concluded with a wince as he closed his eyes, pained at the sudden knowledge of the ramifications of the Vow.

"Yes," Severus said quietly. "Something which is not and has never been your fault. So get that thought out of your mind. I could have chosen death or Azkaban but I did not. I never really minded promising to protect you. Yes, I would have prefered being able to _choose_ to die in your protection if it came down to it but it is done. Further the bond we now share makes you my son, we only need to register it at Gringotts or the Ministry to have it officially recognized. The Dark Lord was acknowledged as our patron and protector by the magic to the point of family. The ritual might have been off the cuff but it is no less valid, even more so as Nagini also participated and made the same claim."

Harry opened his eyes to stare wide-eyed at his adoptive father. He knew they had been acting like a family he had always dreamed about and had also noticed that the ritual had made him suspiciously comfortable around the other two. What he hadn't known was that it had created a _legal_ as well as magical bond between them all.

"I am the family Lord and Head of House for a number of different reasons. Neither of you, to my knowledge, has a current Lordship or are Heir to a Lordship irregardless of if you are eligible for one. We will need to check on that at some point, not today as we will be rather busy, as well as your finances and any holdings you may have," Voldemort pointed out. "Medically, I need Harry safe as well as frequent access to him. Even if we never get along I would rather not face that destructive insanity again, an insanity that is bad for everyone. These things may change to some extent after more of my soul is healed but my protection of you both will never waver. For now we will finish breakfast and then head to the bank before obtaining lunch and going to the ministry for the emergency meeting they called. I will call for an escort at the bank unless we decide to simply use glamours as we will be using to get to the bank."

The trip to Gringotts and the Ministry was going to be _very_ interesting, Harry thought darkly. He had a deep suspicion that they were going to be tagged with trackers and other magics to make sure they made it back "home" with the Dark Lord. It was weird enough finding out that he had first been adopted by two of his most ardent enemies and then discovering the health and soul thing on top of it. The fact that he was still hurt from his previous "home life" wasn't really a surprise considering how much it tended to hurt when he wrote with a quill or prepared potion ingredients. It was just another one of those constant pains he didn't bother to comment on with how long it had been there and the lack of care provided by any adult he had trusted with it.

Harry had no idea that ever since the health check his new little family was hyper vigilant about his health. All three of them had been closely observing him and none of them had been pleased to realize that this was the most relaxed and at peace they had ever seen him beyond flying on his broom. The Dark Lord, thinking it would help Severus in his current task, had allowed the other wizard to read their health reports properly while Harry had a long hot bath before bed the night before. The one-way silencing spells along with the temporary containment wards had been a good idea. Severus' magic and temper had _raged_ at the damage done to their green-eyed imp. Voldemort had to pin the man down and remind him, very firmly, who was now in charge to keep him from going off and murdering both Dumbledore and the Dursleys. It had turned into a sort of cuddle session as the Potions Master broke down weeping on Harry's behalf. The combined revelations were likely a large part of what prompted Severus into admitting what he had in the dark of the night as they held Harry protectively in their arms after the nightmare.

Time would tell.

For now they had to get to the bank.


	10. Chapter 10

"Here," Voldemort said as he returned their wands. They had finished breakfast and gotten ready for their day out. Both younger wizards were wearing magically adjusted things from Voldemort's own wardrobe even as the Dark Lord was clad in his pretty boy glamours from the raid. A few of the items had been secretly tagged with trackers, monitoring spells, and two separate remotely activated portkeys that would drag the pair to his side in an emergency. Both portkeys had a back up activator in response to one or both wizards getting kidnapped or captured. The Dark Lord _refused_ to loose the pair to idiots and treachery.

"Is there a way we can get my owl back?" Harry asked tentatively. "I don't much mind loosing the rest if you insist. There are just a few things I'd like back. Things from my... birth parents."

The other important things to Harry were still in his trunk at school but Hedwig was literally his first friend and deepest confidant. As upset as he would be for loosing the few family things he had, like his family invisibility cloak and the photo album, he would be even more devastated to loose Hedwig. If he knew that she would be okay that was one thing but he had no idea if the Hogwarts rumor mill had started in on him being a baby dark lord again or not. It wasn't inconceivable that some deluded schoolmate would try to kill her for that offense even if he wasn't actually a baby dark lord. There would be hell to pay when they found out the current Dark Lord had declared him under his personal protection along with Professor Snape and it would be worse when the medical thing eventually leaked.

"I've seen your wardrobe, its getting replaced," Severus insisted with clear disapproval. "You should not be dressed in rags, no matter your sense of muggle _style_ or what happens to be _popular_ among muggles."

"Its... not actually mine. The school clothes are mine but the other ones... they are Dudley's old ones. I'm not allowed..." Harry forced out before trailing off, refusing to look at the other two wizards. "I wanted my owl... my special cloak, my photo album, the hidden map my dad and his friends made, and maybe the Firebolt Sirius gave me... That's it..."

"Not sweets? Not the Weasley Sweaters you sport every winter holiday? Not pranks?" Severus asked suspiciously as he tried to remember what else his son had at the school.

"Don't really have much," Harry admitted, looking at his feet, still refusing to meet their eyes. "I figured I wont be allowed to keep my cloak or Firebolt even if we get them but I want them... safe. I can put them all in my vault I suppose except for Hedwig but I'm never allowed to keep my key so..."

A firm smack of flesh on fabric had him flinching as he quickly looked up, searching for the threat, only to be met by the sight of Severus rubbing his arm.

"How," Voldemort asked dangerously. "Could you have missed _this_?"

"He is a better actor than I thought," Severus grumbled. "Besides, I challenge _you_ to see clearly with Dumbledore and the rest of the staff shoving the image of your childhood bully down your throat at every chance. _Especially_ in regards to the one you are looking at and then tell me that you can do so _without_ seeing exactly what they are shoving down your throat constantly. Even if the others on staff probably weren't aware of how much they were hurting me and my relationship with my son Dumbledore was most certainly aware and ruthless in re-enforcing the connection."

"Fine, expect a more personal punishment when we get back to ensure you see our brat clearly from now on. Perhaps a spanking? Something to make you remember but not actually cause harm," Voldemort told him bluntly, still scowling over the latest news. "We don't have time right now and I want the pair of you as safe as I can get you without having to fight the pair of you or imprison you both."

"What... did he do? Aside from the feud thing?" Harry asked carefully. He really wanted to know why Severus hated his birth father so much. He was slowly coming to realize, just from the change in how he was spoken of by the other two and their treatment of him, that they did actually care about him. He wasn't stupid so he knew that at least part of it was that they hadn't known about some stuff and that what they had thought they knew was dangerously wrong. He knew that the soul thing and his less than perfect health bothered them. He knew that Dumbledore seemed to only care about controlling him and keeping him on a leash to do his bidding. What he didn't know, out of all of this, was why they cared about his comfort and understanding.

Harry could see keeping him alive and healthy because of the soul thing. He could even see a reason to keep him somewhat entertained and tracked. What he couldn't seem to wrap his head around was that they actually cared about him.

"Black tricked me into meeting Lupin under a full moon before the potion that lets him keep his human mind was created. Had James not rescued me, incurring a life debt, I would have either been killed or turned and Lupin would have been executed. Black, if Dumbledore hadn't covered it up, should have been expelled and charged with attempted murder," Severus explained refusing to look at either of them. "I went to Dumbledore about it and he magically bound me to silence before punishing me for attempting to get his precious Gryffindors in trouble. I can speak of it to you because you hold the life debt that was earned during that incident. You inherited it from your... James."

"Considering how many magics bind you to the imp, you are very lucky that we discovered how important he is to both of us," Voldemort said with a glare. "As I said before we don't have the time to sort this out. We will deal with it when we come home."

"Times three," Severus agreed softly, causing the Dark Lord to pause in his turn towards the fireplace they would be leaving from.

"The number of times my mother refused to step aside on the night she was killed," Harry added thoughtfully. "I know its an especially magical number but I don't know _why_."

"Another time," Voldemort instructed softly, his anger now gone, as he turned back to the fireplace and reached for the floo powder. The powerful number three being so linked to the pair and the bindings between them wasn't something to just ignore. It did, however, highlight the fact that it might not be their fault if it was even something bad. Right then and there Voldemort was inclined to think that it might be something _good_.

A casual toss had the fire roaring green in under a minute as he called out the address of the Leaky Cauldron. His glamoured features wouldn't draw comment until the other two arrived. Voldemort fully expected an Auror escort to show up at the bank to "help" them get to the ministry meeting once word of seeing Harry in Diagon got out. He just knew this was going to be a long day.


	11. Chapter 11

Diagon was bustling that morning even though it didn't have the normal pre-school crowds that Harry was used to running into whenever he got his school supplies.

The only problem, as far as Harry was concerned, was the sight of Umbridge in her normal bright pink walking down the street towards them. Unfortunately he wasn't taking into account the stares of the public which just happened to be more concerned than usual. Not as much of a surprise considering the lack of glamours but definitely a concern for both of his companions. They had no idea what the pink clad witch had done to their imp and were thus ill prepared for what was about to happen.

The first sign that something had gone wrong wasn't the appearance of the Aurors but in fact the way that Umbridge _somehow_ managed to cruelly grab Harry.

"Where have you been _boy_?" Umbridge screeched as she shook him _hard_ rattling his brain inside his skull.

Severus managed to snatch his son back out of her grip but not without tearing Harry's clothes and bruising the flesh underneath as Umbridge was violently removed from contact. The spell that sent her flying had fury and power to spare as red eyes burned through the glamour, causing the entirety to melt away and reveal the Dark Lord in all his glory. The crowd drew sharply back away from them but didn't start panicking _yet_. After all it was quickly pointed out that _he_ hadn't started it, Umbridge had. Then too why was he, the Dark Lord, _shielding Potter_?! Until the Dark Lord turned his focus on the crowds they would happily watch the show.

"You shouldn't have done that," Voldemort said maliciously.

"She rattled his brains! We will be lucky if he doesn't have a concussion to say nothing of the bruises she left and the clothes she ripped through," Severus snarled as he cradled his son close. Harry was easily dizzy and trying not to get sick, vaguely he had to agree with his new father. It did, in fact, feel like one of the many times Vernon had given him a concussion.

"Tend to the imp... I think I want to know exactly why she thought that she had the right to grab any child much less that Heir of a Nobel and Ancient house," Voldemort growled out himself. "After all, we were here peacefully heading to the bank. I even catered to the public in using glamours to avoid panicking anyone."

"My lord, Madam Bones is expecting you for the emergency meeting," Dwalish said, approaching them from the newly arrived group of Aurors. None of them had any prior knowledge as to what the trouble was when they responded to the panicky floo call. On the plus side Dwalish's newly public status as a Death Eater on the Auror force was suddenly paying dividends. They had someone who could safely approach the Dark Lord to find out what the hell was going on!

"I am aware. It was one of the only reasons we bothered to leave the Manor prior to deciding what both Severus and Harry actually need after the healer proscribed bed rest," Voldemort drawled. "I was quite disgusted to realize our world has allowed the Potter Heir to be regularly starved and tortured for most of his life. I will be having _words_ with those responsible and with the Wizengamot over the matter. Although it does show case Harry's strength quite nicely as almost anyone else would have died before ever reaching Hogwarts. This _woman_ grabbed Harry and shook him like a rag doll. In his fragile state that could have very easily _killed_ him."

Dwalish, along with most of his Auror fellows, paled at this news.

"Harry... What is _this_?" Severus demanded sharply, his voice suddenly cold.

"From detention with Umbridge," Harry slurred. He knew what was being asked about without opening his eyes by the way that the long potion stained fingers tracing the scarred words etched into the back of one hand. _I must not tell lies_.

"I will kill her!" Severus snarled furiously, his obsidian eyes blazing with fury as he clutched Harry close to his chest.

"What?" Dwalish asked sharply. He had to get as much information as quickly as possible before everything blew up in his face!

"Scars from a _blood quill_!" Severus spat, glaring hatefully at the pink clad bitch who was only just now clambering unsteadily to her feet. Voldemort growled, low and menacing as his fury burned behind his Occlumency shields. Yet still Harry, winced and bit back a whimper at the intensity of the bleed through flowing down their mind link.

"I'm not the only one," Harry managed to whimper before passing out under the combined onslaught of Voldemort's rage and the concussion he had sustained.

The silence that suddenly engulfed the alley was deadly.

"How many? How many of our _children_ have scars because of _you_?!" Voldemort spat as he slowly advanced on the, by now, completely terrified witch.

"Kill her later!" Severus ordered as he shot towards the bank and their on site healers with Harry bundled in his arms. Passing out on top of a concussion was a very bad thing and Severus refused to loose their imp with help right _there_. Voldemort, trusting Snape's judgement, took up the rearguard as they headed for the bank. Not a single spell was fired at them as they retreated into the bank and no one was crazy enough to follow after them into Gringotts territory.

"Unhand me you imbecile! I am the Undersecretary to the Minister!" Umbridge screeched as a couple of the Aurors decided to arrest her.

"Funny, I don't believe temporary Minister Bones appointed you. After the magical purge that swept the Ministry after the magic declared Fudge a traitor and killed him it also either killed, trapped, or incapacitated everyone allied with him. The magic gave a listing of all newly empty posts and you just listed one of them. I don't remember your name on _any_ of the ministry personnel lists. Unless, of course, you haven't been to the ministry since the ancient magic was triggered. That's the only way I can see you as _not_ being in custody," Auror Jones said darkly. "Lets see, what else was it he said? Ah, yes, Torture of a Minor, Torture of a least one Noble House Heir, Misuse of Power, Use of a level 5 Dark Artifact on a Minor, Use of a level 5 Dark Artifact on a Noble House Heir... Did I miss anything Max?"

"I can think of a few more easily just based on this mess in the alley," Auror Max said darkly.

"She's lucky that the Dark Lord thought healing Potter was more important," Dwalish snorted in disgust. "Right, he's being peaceful but it wont hurt to leave a few behind while this waste of air gets dragged into the Ministry cells to await trial."

The other Aurors murmured agreement and everyone sorted themselves out with Umbridge portkeyed to a cell and the Alley gaining a few extra Aurors for the day.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry drifted in the dark, his head throbbing, aware that everything felt like moving through bubbly molasses. He could feel the magic of both Snape and Voldemort curling protectively around him as he drifted, trapped in the mental syrup caused by the concussion. He knew this didn't always happen with a concussion but it was still something he associated with a _bad_ blow to the head. Then he started hearing quiet voices near by.

"Why did he react so badly to being shaken?" that voice had to be good ol' Voldy.

"Shaking a child roughly enough can kill them," Severus' voice corrected. "Its one of the easiest ways to kill an infant. Harry's weakened condition and the high likelihood of many previous concussions makes him more vulnerable to taking damage from such mistreatment. We are lucky that the healer found no extra damage beyond the rattling of his brain inside his skull, although that can be bad enough. He passed out from pain, probably from his link to you considering how inflamed his scar was. Small mercies."

"That isn't good," Voldemort hissed quietly in upset. "I realize that the healer said it was too soon for me to attempt to correct my mistakes but I am uncertain if we can wait until my health is optimal before trying to heal my soul. If this is what happens to our imp... Well lets just say that I refuse to leave him vulnerable and I am not stupid enough to think he can't escape if I try to keep him out of mischief."

"He _needs_ a measure of freedom," Severus' voice warned softly.

"I know," Voldemort agreed reluctantly. Harry could tell just from listening that he really did know.

Harry picked that moment to groan and force his eyes open. He was in what amounted to a private infirmary. from the permanent clock enchanted on the wall he hadn't been out for more than twenty minutes. At a guess Voldemort hadn't opted to punish anyone or Harry knew that he would be in more pain and would have likely slept longer from the spill over down their link.

"Thanks for not cursing whoever," Harry croaked. He was helped into a sitting position and handed a glass of water, which he thankfully drank.

"And how, exactly, do you know I didn't curse anyone?" Voldemort asked softly.

"Because you would have used the Cruciartus curse and that always bleeds through when you're angry. I'm not feeling the effects of the spell so you didn't do it," Harry explained. He ignored the sudden quiet from his fellow wizards as he ran through a mental check list. The potion residue that was in his mouth when he woke up and the lack of dizziness or headache told him that his concussion was probably fixed. Anything else that happened hadn't left side effects so he figured that he was fine.

"If you can manage it try to rest for the remainder of the day. Otherwise you are fine, beyond what my colleague had already found and set treatment for," the on site healer told them, checking over his medical files again. "You are free to leave with your companions as long as you stay with them in case of a relapse. Your file indicates that both are aware of your current health and the healing plan so I wont go over it again."

They watched as the healer calmly left the infirmary, belatedly realizing that they had been dismissed.

"Brat, don't scare us like that," Severus admonished softly as he helped Harry get to his feet. The healer hadn't bothered undressing him so the Gryffindor was still in his current set of shrunken Dark Lord clothes. Voldemort mentally sighed in both relief and irritation as he contemplated getting his panthers a few quick outfits until he could sort them out properly. Just because he liked them clothed in something of his as another claim of ownership and protection didn't mean the pair weren't in need of their own things.

It didn't take the trio long to find themselves in front of Voldemort's account manager after that.

"May your vaults over flow and the blood of your enemies soak the ground," Voldemort offered politely as he ushered his two panthers into seats.

"May your gold grow and your enemies tremble at your name," the goblin offered with a grin. "How may Gringotts help you this day?"

"I need to add these two to my family and certify the family bond we established a few days ago. There can be no risk that they will ever leave my protection and, if necessary, guardianship," Voldemort explained. Severus made an indignant noise but a look from the Dark Lord quieted him without further issue. "I will also need an overview of their holdings to go over at a later time. For now, as family head and lord, I want Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix banned in any form from taking anything out of their holdings or having access to their properties. Depositing is fine but I also request that everything from that source is suitably checked for tampering. All correspondence should also be routed through Gringotts and checked before being sent on."

"But!" Harry protested. "My friends!"

"This is to keep you safe," Voldemort pointed out. "It isn't about stopping you from sending letters or receiving them but instead stopping things that would hurt you or remove you from safety. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Dumbledore implemented similar measures when you were younger and has simply not removed them beyond adding exceptions for your friends. If he hadn't you would have been buried under gifts and mail mixed with dangerous curse carrying and poison laced letters. It also wont surprise me if we discover that he and his little group have been stealing from your accounts but I suspect that would be more politics than actual malicious intent. We wont know for certain until we go over your accounts and investigate everything. Something that we wont have time to do any time soon. As it stands we will likely have to hire tutors to at least get you through your OWLs. At some point we will need to look into getting you both a back up wand and possibly a different focus, a bracelet perhaps? Something harder to loose and harder to break."

"My friends and Sirius are the only ones who ever send me anything... well except for the school and the Headmaster," Harry said quietly.

"You did not receive the Gringotts missives for your accounts?" the goblin asked with a fierce frown. This was important not only to the customers but to the integrity of his people!

"No and I never really got to hold my vault key... is that important?" Harry asked cautiously. From the way everyone else immediately scowled it bloody well was important!

"I want an audit on their accounts, hidden and public, as well as any account they may have potential access to," Voldemort ordered tightly.

"You can't!" Severus started to argue only to cut himself off at the glare he received from the Dark Lord.

"~I don't think you quite understand. I _claimed_ you. Not just as family but as more. As far as I am concerned neither of you will ever again have secrets from me and I will discover anything I don't already know. Your accounts, along with discovering anyone who has messed with them, are included in this,~" Voldemort hissed succinctly. There was no point in letting the goblin overhear this after all and it was time to lay out his current intentions to the pair of them. "~I will touch you, platonically, when I please and you will both sleep in my bed until such time as you marry a suitable spouse. I am highly possessive and it is not a trait that I am willing to curb when it comes to anyone I see as _mine_. I expect you both to speak up if you disagree with something or if you are being harmed by something, even me. The joint sleeping arrangements and random touching are as non-negotiable as my protection of both of you. Unless it is unavoidable I have no intention to return you to the old man's clutches. Dumbledore will _not_ reach either of you ever again if I have my way.~"

Harry gulped at his serious tone but couldn't hide his bewilderment over being _wanted_. Yes, he could understand being used, he rather expected it to various degrees by this point. He could even understand doing things for him out of friendship... but this claim? This need to protect him? Even with the soul thing involved? He just couldn't understand it. Between the Dursleys and always being shoved to the front line in a fight or fighting for his life every year this idea of a... safe haven with actual caring adults was foreign to him.

Severus winced mentally at seeing the lost look on Harry's face. If the brat's only experience with actual care was the Mutt, Molly Weasley, and his friends... well Black wasn't sane and he is a _Black_ complete with the family madness. Molly? Her "affection" manifested more as unbreakable orders and attacks that threatened to suffocate the recipient rather than provide an actual hug. Then too Ronald seems determined to keep their Imp completely isolated... possibly on Dumbledore's orders. No, it was clear to him that Harry _needed_ them for more than just practical protection.

"~Our Imp might just need that, aside from the medical concerns,~" Severus grudgingly admitted. "~I, on the other hand _needed_ to keep secrets to simply stay alive. I no longer know what might kill me out of all the secrets I hold.~"

"~Then it is high time you shared,~" Voldemort glowered before turning back to the waiting goblin, reiterating what was to be done next. "They are both to be added to my family. We need to certify the family bond that was enacted several days ago and, for your records, record the fact that they are under my protection. Audit their accounts and report on the results but do nothing until instructed unless dictated by your own laws. I want a chance to destroy any threats properly and that may necessitate allowing them to continue to dig their own graves for a time."

"Understood," the goblin said unhappily, making a note about not stopping the thieves immediately but also notably more cheerful at the thought that they could apply _goblin_ law.

"~If it will aid... I will accept the gender change and blood adopt Harry as well,~" Severus offered in a pained tone of voice and a grimace. The parseltongue slipping from his lips in a quiet hiss as the goblin fetched the needed paperwork to confirm their family.

"~I know you don't object to the imp as your son so it must be the gender swap,~" Voldemort chuckled maliciously. Severus glared but didn't argue the point. After all he knew better than most that it would be permanent and _very_ complete. If he wasn't careful his fellow Death Eaters would get... grabby. Not that some didn't need to be cursed any way for the same reason prior to this but it had been handled. This time Severus might not be so lucky.

"~I will not require it... for now,~" Voldemort hissed in a smug tone that told Severus his... offer had been a good idea. After all offering showed his dedication and the lack of _need_ for it to actually happen.

This time there were no objections as they signed the paperwork. Voldemort planned to cuddle with them a great deal once they got home. Although, they still had the Emergency Wizengamot meeting to get through before he could curl up with them in bed.


	13. Chapter 13

Minerva McGonagall frowned over the last report she was checking for one of the Aurors that happened to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix. As deputy to both the School and the Order there were things she had to deal with on a regular basis. Thankfully Moody handled most of the Order business as Albus' primary combat lieutenant. She had insisted that she had too many jobs as it was to run both those of the order on sensitive missions as well as being a prime public contact point. Unknown to all she was also a part time Unspeakable stationed as part of security for high risk and high ranked students at the school. Among her official charges as an Unspeakable was Harry Potter (Wizarding Hero), Susan Bones (Niece to Law Enforcement Department Head), Draco Malfoy (son of a Magical Lord), and Justin Finch-Fletchly (Son of a Muggle Lord and high ranked Judge) to name a few. By accident she had figured out that several other teachers were also Unspeakables: Filius Flitwick, Argus Filtch, Rolanda Hooch, and Aurora Sinestra. She had also realized that young Harry was also on the watch list for Filius Flitwick as both an Unspeakable and a part goblin representative of the Gringotts Nation.

Thinking back to just after the disastrous Hogsmeade visit made her remember exactly how angry she was with Dumbledore. It also reminded her of the highly selective staff meeting afterwards.

>   
>  _**^^ Flashback^^** _
> 
> _"Minerva? Where is Mister Potter?" the small part goblin professor asked carefully as the last of the students hurried past the waiting staff into the safety of the castle._
> 
> _Minerva could only give him a grave look._
> 
> _"Shall I grab the Counters team or send out a call for the Headmaster's Bird Club?" Professor Sinestra offered her obviously distressed colleague softly._
> 
> _"I will inform the... Bird Club later. Call the team... one of our students has been legally remanded into the current Dark Lord's custody," Minerva answered somewhat woodenly. "The rest of the students need to report to their common rooms. Their remaining meals will be served there. Tell Umbridge, assuming that she is even in the castle, that we are discussing something a student did which is interfering with the wards and acting to fix it. After all we can't call in a Wardmaster without the Headmaster and the Governors signing off on it."_
> 
> _The soft cursing in various languages did nothing to comfort the nearby lingering students or the staff who were not members of the unofficial "Disaster Squad". Three hours later, the mixed group of undercover protectors sat in stunned silence after having watched the entire confrontation using the projective enchantment on the School's pensive. A pensive that Dumbledore frequently pretended was his personal property and thus not available for school use._
> 
> _"Did you honestly not know him?" Filus asked as he studied his colleague._
> 
> _"It took me time but I did, in fact, figure out who he was," Minerva admitted. "The tip off was that he called me Minerva so familiarly and that he was assessing me as if he was fully aware of my dueling style. The assessment, however, noted a former weakness from school that I have since fixed. His eyes also looked for a protective amulet that I used to keep on my belt as a student. From these clues and from a brief memory of seeing the back of the enchanted diary that young Harry destroyed in his second year I can only conclude that the Dark Lord was one of my schoolmates, Tom Riddle."_
> 
> _"Well I can tell you just from that memory alone that he is more stable now than during the last war," Argus Filtch offered up with a scowl. He had been a front line fighter during several fights but had always used something to hide his face. As a result his appearance as a "squib" looking for a job combined with his unusually high talent for wandless magic made him a perfect shoe-in for the nasty castle caretaker position._
> 
> _"Does anyone know about the protection that Severus offers Mr. Potter? I couldn't understand the Parseltongue, of course, but we might get a better idea of what he was instructed to swear if we knew the other oath," Aurora inquired thoughtfully._
> 
> _"Vow," Filus corrected. "The original was an Unbreakable Vow. You could tell by the coloring. As long as Severus is able to protect Mr. Potter they will both survive this. Also, I will need some way to know Mr. Potter's warrior status to get any significant aid from my cousins. Something which you have denied me previously."_
> 
> _"I didn't, Dumbledore did," Minerva shot back, just as irritated over the lack of detailed answers over the years as her colleague._
> 
> _"We can ask them when we get them back and we_ will _get them back," Aurora said pointedly. "For now... the Dark Lord legally and magically holds them hostage with some unknown deal made by both of them to protect the students and possibly the staff."_
> 
> _"This has to be reported," Rolanda Hooch said firmly. "I realize that we all have other charges but we also all have Potter on our list for various reasons. Minerva acted as witness and thus helped seal the deal, protecting our charges and our lost boys. At this point we can only do damage control and hope that the parts of the deal we can't understand aren't too horrendous or that we can help them get out of it. Fudge is an idiot but we still have to report in. It is, as the muggles say, above our pay grade."_
> 
> _"Watch Poppy," Minerva warned. "None of us have figured out yet if she is actively colluding with anyone, incompetent, bribed, bound by something be it magic or threat, or oblivated. Severus was always our official medical back up whether he realized it or not. I refuse to loose any of the children, special charges or not, to something that could have been prevented or fixed."_
> 
> _That ended the meeting. By morning their reports would be in the hands of the Unspeakables and the goblins._
> 
> _**^^ End Flashback^^** _   
> 

  
Minerva grimaced at the next memory which detailed her rather sharp chewing out in polite, official, terms. Something which had then been followed by a "good job, next time try to keep the kid safe _inside_ your area of further protection". If wasn't long before she was back to playing the loyal deputy to the Defeater of Grindelwald... even if it did make her feel sick to play the part from time to time.

Dumbledore, having gotten back to Britain the night before the Emergency Meeting, stalked furiously down the Ministry corridors in the direction of the Grand Meeting Hall. He was absolutely enraged when he had discovered the official notice for the meeting and the flat statement that it was a call to _all_ magical leaders, thus granting all attendees safe passage and amnesty under the old magics meant to protect all of them in times of great danger. Voldemort would be there and he would be unable to do anything about it. At least, Dumbledore thought, Harry was safely at Hogwarts and wouldn't be drawn into this mess though it was his right by blood and magic to attend.

Minerva McGonagall had said something had come up while he was out of the country but that Madam Bones had officially handled it. Dumbledore, distracted by the meeting notice, had promised to review everything after the meeting, brushing her off. Minerva had been visibly displeased but unknown to her employer she had already handled the Order Members and was ready to rip him a new one. After all Harry might be legally and magically protected by the deal she had stood as witness for but the Headmaster's unhealthy interest in her student _had_ been noticed by the woman. She had also noticed his marked disregard for Harry's mental and physical well being over the years. This? This was just the last straw. As far as she was concerned _Severus_ was now Harry's primary guardian and caretaker, damn the official paperwork! If she was lucky she would be able to talk both younger wizards into letting her help.

In the end, Dumbledore left for the ministry without ever realizing that he had completely lost control of his Deputy, his pet Potions Master, and his young _weapon_.

The Grand Meeting Hall had been designed by Merlin and King Arthur for balls, galas, international meetings, and the rare times when all of Magic or the entire Realm was at stake. It had many protections but it answered first to royal blood in case of mass rebellion. The current Royal family hadn't set foot inside the hall since the Statute of Secrecy had been enacted when an official split, kept secret, between the Magical and non-magical branches of the Royal Family had occurred. The Magical branch had been purposefully hidden within many loyal pureblood lines, blood adopting all of the magical royal children at the time as instructed long ago by Merlin. A family secret to protect the realm both by magic and by law. Rough hewn stone greeted the observer with equally rough carved runes that glowed with eldritch power. Carved stone benches and various wooden seats lined the hall for those attending to such serious business as that which opened the hall for use.

Dumbledore watched over the hall with a mix of disgust at those assembled and smug knowledge. Knowledge that he only needed to declare one or more of them as _dark_ to Harry and the public to see them destroyed... or so he thought. Any observer would only see his grandfather act and that was the way he liked it!

"Come to order please! Come to order!" a scribe announced as the doors shut, linking with ancient wards to protect the room and its occupants. Dumbledore quickly found his seat and happily ignore the water beetle shaped reporter that he had allowed to catch a ride on his robes from the Atrium. Rita Skeeter was going to have a field day and if Dumbledore played it right she would happily crucify any opponent he happened to have in this very hall.

Once everyone was seated Dumbledore was surprised to note that Madam Bones and several Aurors were putting the final touches on various materials to share or present. Taking a quick glance around the room he realized that the stupid woman had called a full magical court of every species and people that she could reach. His heart sinking Dumbledore could only think of one thing that would let her issue the call for such a meeting without first going through him and the Minister. The entire magical world faced a threat that could wipe them out down to the last.

Glancing around again at those summoned for the apparent presentation Dumbledore nearly had a heart attack! What the devil was young Harry doing here with Severus at the side of the Dark Lord no less?!


	14. Chapter 14

Harry looked around the truly massive rough hewn hall with glowing runes and spellwork creating a rainbow of colors scattered across the stone of the walls and ceiling. He was seated off to one side with Severus while Voldemort joined the mixed group of Aurors and Unspeakables as they set up the presentation, correcting a few things here and there. Harry could only guess that the Dark Lord had been invited to help by the note he had received when they had arrived. It was the only reason he could come up with that had the unstable wizard directing them to a protected seating area and then leaving them there.

"Let us begin," the announcer person stated. What followed was Voldemort outlining the fact that his entire campaign had been both a wake up call and a test to see if the magical world could handle the abrupt collapse of the Statute of Secrecy.

"As informative as this is," a voice rumbled from one of the Vampire representatives. "Why, exactly, did you feel the need to even start this... test? Also why did you call all of us here?"

"Because of the threat the muggles as a whole present," Madame Bones informed them all white faced. "Some, if not all, of you have heard of the raid and stand off at Hogsmeade where in the Dark Lord took custody of Potions Master Severus Snape and his student Harry Potter. At that time the initial reason for the raid was derailed when young Mr. Potter offered a deal to ensure the safety of those captured. The deal was struck and magically witnessed."

"The deal was also performed in Parseltongue and became even stronger as a result of being agreed upon using a magical language to negotiate," Voldemort added. "After both of them entered my custody certain things came to light which have perforce placed them under my permanent guardianship and protection as certified by the Gringotts Nation. At the time of the raid, as a courtesy for not making things worse than they had to be, I directed Madam Bones to the information on the muggles that had sparked the reason for my test of our community. Simply put? Muggles have a population of over 7 billion where as, counting _all_ intelligent magical species, we only have a population of perhaps 1% which equates to roughly 70 million sentient magicals of all known species. If we limit the numbers to just humans... its closer to a 10,000 to 1 ratio. It is also a large part of the reason why my attacks against the muggle population were largely ignored despite their and our media picking up on it. There are too many of them to kill but our abilities will immediately be seen as a threat as they were during the days of the witch burnings. This to say nothing of their current ability to destroy entire cities with bombs. I would like to direct your attention to the results in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton, Swansea, Birmingham, Belfast, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester and Sheffield during the blitz of the war with Grindelwald. I would also direct you to the devastation of the _nuclear_ incident at Chernobyl as well as the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. These happened during the war with Grindlewald which the muggle world calls the Second World War."

The pictures projected magically into the air of the various locations, many of them from muggle history books or library archives showed the devastation and loss of life.

"What?!" the Gringotts Bank director croaked out into the shocked silences several seconds later.

"My fellow magicals, I _lived_ through the London Blitz every summer during my Hogwarts schooling, always denied a place of safety simply because I was an orphan. _This_ devastation among our peoples is what I am trying to prevent!" Voldemort announced harshly. "Yes, I attacked our peoples but I first tried to warn you. Instead I was blocked and banned for 'being dark' to the point that I could only get a job in a run down shop off of Knockturn Alley. It was at that point, when no one would _listen_ that I turned to find alternate ways to make the threat at least visible so that we had half a chance at surviving what will come. It was made clear to me that the only way to get you to see the threat was effectively a couple of stinging hexes to various rear ends. During the process of applying those hexes several rituals I had performed over the years came back and bit me on the arse. As such by the time I went after the Potters I was utterly insane. Some of the damage has been repaired but as you can see from my appearance the healing is as yet incomplete. One of the things I requested at the end of the Hogsmeade raid was a chance to present my evidence to, at the very least, the Wizengamot. I limited myself to asking for the Wizengamot because I honestly thought that I couldn't get an entire conclave convened to hear about the threat we now face."

"Of the techniques we have found that the muggles now have the Statute is barely holding. As it is more to do with the fact that the highest levels of their government are _helping_ us that we have not been exposed," Madam Bones said bluntly. "We are exposed and have been for some time. It is only the general public which is unaware of us. Something which has been allowed to continue to avoid mass panic."

"A gun can kill faster than a wand can be drawn. This has been a fact since I was a child and their weapons have only improved as have their detection ability and security measures," Voldemort told them all flatly.

"You need to return Mr. Potter to his family," Dumbledore announced. "The rest of this is nothing but scare tactics. The muggles have nothing to fear from us. They will welcome our return with open arms. "Look at the families of the muggleborn! They are delighted to have magical children! We must continue to trust in the integrity and understanding shown by these muggle families. Even Mr. Potter's loving family show that we have nothing to fear from being open with muggles."

The incredulous looks aimed at the Headmaster for his open delusion.

Harry, observing all of this critically, decided to take a little revenge. It wasn't like they didn't need to know about this any way but he knew telling these people this was going to emotionally hurt him. So the only way he could, for now, rationalize sharing it without having ever discussed it with anyone else was teenage revenge even if that little voice in the back of his head said he really just wanted answers.

"If they were so loving then why did I spend the first ten years under there care stuffed in a cupboard? Treated like a House Elf with barely a cup of soup or a slice of bread each day?" Harry's question to Dumbledore rang out across the hall, silencing the hall in an instant. "Explain to me how you can condone the beatings, the refusal to even allow me a _name_? Explain to me why I have been used a _toy_ , a _thing_ rather than a living being? Explain to me why, as your supposedly favorite student, I am denied medical treatment when something happens until _you_ have dragged every scrap of information on it out of me!"

Severus couldn't wait, he literally couldn't help himself, he gathered Harry into his arms. Glaring at the rest of the room he brought his son back into the protection of his arms. His magic, answering an unheard call, flowed into a shimmering shield that wrapped protectively around the pair. Even if he hadn't known the imp would say something the _content_ was disturbing enough that he was willfully indulging the new parent bond with his brat. The fireworks, after all, were about to start.

"A _**CUPBOARD**_?!" Voldemort's voice carried his fury clearly across the hall. It was clear in his tone that he wasn't just referring to the cupboard but to all of it with cupboard being a representative of it all. The open fury had Harry immediately clutching at his scar from the pain flowing down the link even as he let Severus drag him to a slightly safer location in the room yet within easy reach for the Dark Lord. The former Spy's magic never faltered as it fueled the shield around them.

Severus, on the other hand, was remembering even as they moved that he had bypassed the pink bitch yesterday who had also hurt his brat. He couldn't understand why he had forgotten being shown the blood quill marks during the raid and then the listing of it on the healer's report. The earlier urgency to get Harry to a Healer was understandable and helped avert a bloodbath. Severus could only consider the missed opportunity as a bit of a disappointment. Although he knew that by the time the Dark Lord remembered about the vicious bitch her death would be assured despite being in Ministry custody simply because of the damage she had done to Harry. The abuse and the cupboard was something that could be handled later...

Dragging his wandering mind back to the issue and task at hand Severus stared looking for a better spot to keep his son protected in if a battle broke out. He was, however, surprised by the open fury on many of the faces in the room. It seemed that his son was getting extra support from his little outburst.

"I am not a be-damned blade!" Harry was shouting at the old man. "I am not a weapon to be forged and sharpened!"

Severus realized that he must have missed something important. Well his imp always did have a way of getting under people's skin so no surprise there. He would just have to review his memory of the event later, when they were back safely behind a great many powerful wards.

"Placing you there was for the greater good and they are your family," Dumbledore said soothingly.

"I suppose that you think repeatedly sending me back to the orphanage in the middle of the London _Blitz_ with no recourse to go elsewhere was also _for the greater good_?" Voldemort sneered. "Never mind that the staff and nearby priests had repeatedly tried to kill me, had me exorcised as a demon, and that the _only_ way I had _any_ kind of safety in that blasted place was to terrify the other orphans into leaving me alone! To say nothing of the utter destruction of the bombs falling all across the city or the lack of funding to even feed and clothe us."

"Was it for the greater good that you kept sending me back to my father who would frequently try to beat the magic out of me? Was it for the greater good that you allowed Black to set a _werewolf_ under the influence of the full moon with no potion on me in fifth year? Was it for the greater good that you _encouraged_ those four to literally torture me all throughout my school years?!" Severus growled in fury. It was only his arms still wrapped around Harry that kept him grounded in his rage at that moment. He had to protect his imp. Revenge could come later once his temper was down to a simmer rather than at a dangerous boil and ready to explode if the old goat answered wrongly.

"But of course," Dumbledore said, looking at him as if he were stupid and disappointed by that stupidity. The rumbles of shock from the assembled people were ignored by those involved in the discussion

"You are insane," Harry said with incredulity. "I was very pointedly told that I should have died with my parents and that everyone with magic should be killed _by my relatives_! The only reason I even made it to Hogwarts alive is because of my magic and some letter you sent them! I would have been _dead_ any way without my magic even though they tried to beat it out of me!"

"You are exaggerating. I am very disappointed in you for lying to these important people young man," Dumbledore rebuked him. Harry flinched backward into Severus' arms. The low growl of fury from the former Spy the only thing helping him stand tall and glare right back into the eyes of the man who had made himself out to be his protector and savior.

"How many of us have you sent back into danger?!" Voldemort demanded harshly. "How many students never returned because you sent them back to their abusers or sent them into other danger?! I know from my own memories that at least 30 of my own classmates never returned from London because of the Blitz. You have led the magical peoples astray and now we face potential extinction because of your policies and actions!"

"~As a distraction from this mess so that we don't loose out tempers... do you want to know how I became able to speak the tongue of snakes?~" Severus offered his charge. Allowing the hissing language to echo across the hall and visibly startle the old goat as he stared in open shock at his former Potions Master.

"~Yes please,~" Harry agreed quickly. "~I need a distraction or I will try to kill him.~"

"~Believe me, the feeling is mutual,~" Voldemort agreed as he opted to join the pair and force his temper back under control.

"Now see here! That language just proves your evilness!" Dumbledore exclaimed in outrage. "At least Mr. Potter is young enough to be led away from such foulness! I demand that you unhand him at once and return him to my custody as his magical guardian!"

"You are no guardian of mine!" Harry snarled at him. There was a distinctive snapping sensation as whatever unknown magic bound Harry to the old man broke in front of the entire assembly. The flare of Harry's magic rose, coaxing out the magic of his fellow Parselmouths and twining with them before subsiding, displaying the recently formed family bond to briefly shine undeniably across the hall.

"You _bound_ his _**MAGIC?!**_ Are you bloody well _insane_?! It would have eventually killed him!" Severus bellowed. Handing Harry off to the Dark Lord he stalked towards his employer, drawing his wand in an open rage.

"It was necessary and for the greater good!" Dumbledore declared piously as Severus was grabbed by his new family and held back while the trio glared at the old man. Severus, not wanting to hurt his son or his Lord, refrained from forcing himself free to continue his attack. Opting to let them pull him back into the safety of their arms and the magic shield he had instinctively created earlier to protect Harry. The shield had a calming influence on all three of them, helping them to avoid attacking the old man over the revealed wrongs done to them.

"Right, Gringotts has heard enough from the insane one. His actions have harmed the nation and as such all assets will be seized in recompense. I recommend to this body that the insane one, born Albus Brian Dumbledore, be executed for attempted assassination of all magical peoples," the goblin representative declared. "We refrain from acting and simply killing him now out of the warrior respect for this body and those various clans and peoples they represent. Wizarding Dark Lord we of Gringotts would be happy to review your raids and a full listing of your original goals with the eye to an alliance in keeping our peoples protected. We will be contacting the local muggle leaders with a similar offer to begin talks in an attempt to avoid an unwinnable war as well as possibly arrange for our young warriors to be blooded on the battle field or at least in a decent arena match against some of their own. We do however request a full accounting of the Hogwarts incidents from Mr. Potter to properly accord him his warrior ranking and a time to judge his combat skill. Wand Warrior and Charms Master Flitwick has never been able to gain a proper accounting for us due to the insane one's interference. We also would like to offer the young warrior a chance to speak to our combat recovery experts that they may aid in healing any mind injury that occurred from those combat incidents."

Dumbledore looked around at those assembled belatedly remembering where he was only to see various looks of horror, disgust, and fury aimed at him. He decided to retreat with what dignity he retained and never saw the stunner hit him from behind. A stone faced Amelia Bones followed her attending Aurors as they first knocked out and arrested the Defeater of Grindelwald.

"You are hereby arrested for child endangerment and child abuse by proxy," Amelia Bones informed the unconscious man with open fury. "If I didn't think it would violate my oath of office to uphold our laws I would kill you right now."

"Why?" one of the representatives asked, reminding her of her own audience.

"If he did this to Mr. Potter, Master Snape, and the Dark Lord - probably causing him to become the Dark Lord - then the stories my niece brought home, no matter how incomplete, of Mr. Potter's exploits take on a far more dangerous tone. I will need copies of Mr. Potter's memories for the same evaluation as the goblins but also to bring formal charges against any who have risked the lives of our children," Madam Bones informed them. "The only reason I don't officially request them now is that I don't want them to be thrown out. I will have a subpoena shortly for official copies of the involved memories and testimony just as soon as I can get a judge to sign off on it."

"Get one for my memories as well... birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle," Voldemort offered with a grimace over his birth name. "I may no longer be at risk of being charged due to the rebirth ritual which largely returned my sanity but you deserve to be able to officially close any open cases that I have answers for."

"You have my thanks," Madam Bones inclined her head stiffly. She would never like the man who had ordered the death of her brother and sister-in-law but she could respect him and his attempts to sort out the mess of his campaign while protecting their world. The results of his insanity were unfortunate but it was clear that he was trying to fix or at least heal the damage done. She would give him a chance and pray that she didn't regret it.

"Are there any plans to deal with this? Obviously discounting anything Dumbledore came up with?" Lord Lucius Malfoy, attending as the Head of House Malfoy, asked. The sneer aimed in the direction of the downed Headmaster was accompanied by many and varied glares across the hall.

"I submitted a number of possible plans to Madam Bones when I sent her the health certificate for Potions Master Snape and Mr. Potter as well as my own sanity certificate. I wanted no possible mistakes so the healer that checked us came from Gringotts," Voldemort announced. He hadn't really wanted to admit that his sanity had been checked but it gave weight to his previous condition of insanity and a good reason why he was suddenly far more reasonable.

"I thought Nagini called the healer?" Harry pondered aloud. Voldemort twitched at that pronouncement and proceeded to ignore the comment. Those wizarding family heads who also happened to be his followers noted his reaction and lack of response with great interest. It seemed to them that Nagini had a greater amount of influence with their lord than they had guessed and that both Potter and Snape's position had changed within the Dark Faction.

"In the coming days messages will be sent out to inform all of you as to what the new potential emergency protocols will be. We will also entertain suggestions from those assembled here which do _not_ include 'kill all the muggles' or similar," Madam Bones announced. "A packet of techniques and weapons used by muggles will be created and distributed along with the finalized emergency plans. This will be created with the aid of muggleborns, who have lived with muggles their entire life, and the Dark Lord as well as a selection of Lords. Should any of the other races represented here wish to also participate we would welcome their involvement. Until this crisis is solved or at least the risk reduced to something manageable all other over riding ministry business will likely take a backseat. We can fight about the current laws and the like _after_ the risk of us all dying is reduced or eliminated. Thank you for attending this emergency Conclave and I apologize for Dumbledore's insanity as he has probably managed to hide it for a very long time. We should have caught it long before now."

"Gringotts accepts the Ministry apology but will expect better understanding between the goblin nation and the British Ministry in the future to avoid this happening again. You get one chance to prove you were not planning the deaths of our people as a whole," the goblin representative warned firmly.

"The Vampire Covens also accept the apology with the same caveat," the Vampire representative added.

"As do the Centaur Herds," the centaur representative announced. This lead to the Leprechauns, Dwarves, Dryads, Merpeople, Sirens, Harpies, Veela, and various foreign representatives to make similar comments.

Voldemort and his two panthers didn't stay long after that as the meeting officially ended. He had to get them in proper clothes laced with protective enchantments after all. They could keep using his own wardrobe for only so long. He was completely unaware of Rita Skeeter's presence at the meeting and thus would receive a nasty shock from the next morning's paper along with the rest of the wizarding world.


	15. Chapter 15

"You've pushed too hard," were the first words that Severus spoke to the Dark Lord once they were free of the hall and headed out of the area.

"Are you saying I should have left them ignorant when I finally have them _listening_?" Voldemort asked in a softly dangerous tone.

"I am saying that, medically, this event was too much for both of you. Anything you planned for the rest of the day will have to wait," Severus corrected. "Both of you need rest, Harry more than he is willing to admit and you more than anyone aside from Nagini can force you to admit. Both of you are flagging after today's events. I'll take whatever punishment you want for the back talk as long as both of you are in bed for the night within the hour. None of us have been following the Healer's orders today and it is showing."

Voldemort growled under his breath but a closer look at Harry proved Severus' point. Not bothering to give the various assembled Aurors and Ministry personnel they passed the time of day he swept his two family members, still officially his captives, through the floo and back to Malfoy Manor. Nagini and her assigned house elf Misty took one look at the trio before bundling them into bed. Grumpily Voldemort allowed it as he settled in with both of his fellow wizards in his arms. Harry mumbled a bit but didn't fight and even Severus' own grumbling didn't deter the Dark Lord.

All in all, Voldemort was glad that he had not only left the glamours off once they failed due to his temper when facing the pink bitch but also that he had allowed them to be sent to bed early. It had been a very long time since he had actually cared for another human being and he would have to be careful not to mess up with his two panthers. Failure was not an option.

"~Stop brooding! Sleep!~" Nagini scolded as she settled protectively at the foot of their bed.

Tomorrow would come as it would.

The next morning they were faced with a Daily Prophet special edition that made Harry immediately cringe.

Headlines included but were not limited to:

BOY-WHO-LIVED, DARK LORD, & EVIL POTIONS MASTER ABUSED?!!  
DUMBLEDORE ADMITS TO ENDANGERING OUR CHILDREN!!!  
DUMBLEDORE ARRESTED FOR CREATING THE DARK LORD!!!  
MUGGLES NOW ABLE TO DESTROY LONDON WITH ONE STRIKE!!!!  
MUGGLES OUT NUMBER US 10,000 TO 1!!!  
DARK LORD WORKING WITH BOY-WHO-LIVED TO SAVE US ALL?!

Most of which were authored or co-authored by Rita Skeeter.

"I am going to kill her," Severus announced with a sort of forced calm that made Harry actually believe they would be finding her dead body as soon as his father got the chance to produce it.

"She's a water beetle animagus," Harry offered after a minute or two of consideration.

"That," Voldemort said very deliberately as he overly calmly sliced into his sunny side up eggs, making them bleed yoke. "Explains much."

"How exactly did you discover her form?" Severus inquired while slicing into his morning ham.

"Hermione," was Harry's only answer as if that were enough and indeed for the potions master it was. Grumbling about bushy haired know-it-alls as Harry snickered the former spy returned to his breakfast.

Voldemort made a mental note to have some of his follower's children actually look into the girl. Maybe set some of the Ravenclaws on it? It was something to think about later. Today they had to sort out wardrobes for both his panthers and possibly retrieve some of their personal things from Hogwarts. Hopefully Minerva would be reasonable about fetching or allowing them to fetch those things... hopefully.

"~You do not object to my Tom calling you panthers.... why?~" Nagini asked unexpectedly. The three parselmouths hadn't even noticed her entering the room, as a result her question startled both Harry and Severus but only caused Voldemort to sigh.

"~Because I am one,~" Severus said simply before returning to his part of the daily paper which Voldemort had silently split with him when they first both opted for coffee. Harry was given a choice of tea or various juices when he had arrived at the table and barely spared a glace at the coffee the older two were drinking.

"~Animagus?~" Voldemort hissed, intrigued and somewhat smug. His choice to claim them as his was proving even better than he had first thought. Severus inclined his head in acknowledgement before returning to his second cup of coffee.

Harry opted not to answer. He really didn't think they would be happy to hear that even with everything between them he was taking the claim to family seriously. Legal and magical bond or not he really wasn't sure, despite the various ways they told him, that he was really wanted for himself. Although the news that Severus was a panther animagus quickly chased away those more depressing thoughts in favor of curiosity and mischief.

"So not a bat then?" Harry grinned in quiet mirth. The brief shadows of his self doubt fleeing but still noticed by his breakfast companions.

"Brat, finish your food and drink your potions," Severus fake scowled at his son. He took his own potions very pointedly and Harry sighed but followed suit with a grimace.

The rest of breakfast was fairly peaceful and soothing. Upon reflection Voldemort had to reluctantly agree that Severus had been right the day before, pushing to get the basics purchased would have just hurt all three of them. Percolating in the back of the Dark Lord's mind was the fact that he had never been so content in his life. Subconsciously he wondered if this was a mix of platonic love and the instant recognition normally given to the term "Love at first sight". After all not all love was romantic love now was it? It could be slow or fast, burn brightly or slowly sneak up on those involved, but it was still love. Love doesn't stop you from arguing or fighting with someone, it doesn't stop you from hurting or getting hurt, it doesn't stop you from _living_.

The soul piece from Harry finished the thought across the bond, "Love _enhances_ life and is only devastating when snatched away because of how much _strength_ it provides in the first place. Without some form of love all true strength is lost and all the person is doing is _surviving_ instead of _living_."

Voldemort, unaware as yet of the revelation he had just learned, only felt a weight lifting off of his shoulders. Far away, buried under the brick and mortar and ancient enchantments in the Department of Mysteries a white orb on a shelf went dark before shattering into dust. There was no longer a need for the pair listed to fight for the elder of the two had learned what was needed to _live_. Forever would they be bound together until God re-ordered the universe yet the actions called for in the prophecy had been completed and the understanding of the ultimate power in all time passed to one thought incapable. Love, terrifying and beautiful, the essence of God Almighty had settled into the battered soul of one born Tom Marvolo Riddle.


	16. Chapter 16

Nagini watched thoughtfully as her speakers got ready for the day. The way that her Tom and her Harry were acting sluggish and tired worried her but Severus, clever spy that he was, watched the pair with his own wary eyes. Nagini resisted the urge to chuckle or demand that they all get back in bed. Severus wouldn't let them over do it again if he could help it, she knew. The plan was to head to Hogwarts and retrieve the things both of her younger speakers had left behind. Nagini was somewhat glad they had forgotten that sending one of the brownies was possible. After all, the castle had been calling for her Tom since he was quite small and only the old goat had stopped him from living there.

Voldemort stumbled as he moved towards his office, immediately drawing Nagini's sharp attention. This would not do!

"~Sit! If you are more rested after mid-day meal you may go but the very fact that you are not moving well means more rest!~" Nagini ordered all of them with a hissing growl.

"~Nagini!~" Voldemort protested only to unconsciously cause his fellow wizards to realize that he was subtly shaking.

"How hard did you push yesterday!?" Harry demanded as he gave in to the urge to just push the older man into a chair. "And why are you the one shaking just to stand if _I_ was the one knocked silly?!"

"~Foolish hatchling!~" Nagini hissed in obvious displeasure. From her position on the floor she rose up almost to the height of a full grown man, towering over the now seated Dark Lord. "~Your shaking harms your ability to strike! Neither of the other speakers have been taught yet. They can not yet defend the nest! What did you do? What foe did you fight? Or must I insist on many days in the bed-nest after each outing without me?~"

"~I defended us against the ones who would destroy all nests!~" Voldemort snapped. "~The old goat tried to take Harry away and the one in pink who marked his hand tried worse! I will _not_ stand for them being taken from us!!!~"

Nagini regarded him sternly, occasionally scenting the air with her tongue, refusing to return to her prone position on the floor for the moment.

"Insufficient rest will encourage others to come for us, mistaken as a rescue attempt or not," Severus warned softly. "Also, why can we not call a house elf from the school to fetch our things instead of risking a violent confrontation with the staff and students?"

"The house elves... are not an option due to the binding with the school staff," Voldemort admitted with a grimace. "Using the Malfoy elves is not feasible for the simple fact that its not their territory and within elf society unless you have legitimate reason to be in another elf's territory or household can be bad. Unless the local elves don't like their charges the invading elves can be returned in pieces or not returned at all. This is in large part due to previous historical and quickly stopped attempts by purebloods to use house elves as assassins. I would rather not risk the various consequences of being seen as one who tried to bring back _that_ failed practice. Getting permission first is one thing, sending them in without first clearing it is quite another. Its, quite frankly, simpler to just show up at the castle ourselves and sort out the mess I have made of your previous positions at Hogwarts while retrieving at least some of your things if not all of them. Besides as a statement it would be particularly powerful and ensure that even the children understood I am serious about fixing this... well I am not quite sure what to call it anymore. Campaign? Society? Our World? The Dark Faction? Well you see my point."

"Now that you have highlighted the problem you want to prevent panic and get people moving towards an actual solution," Severus summarized, nodding slowly in understanding. The concerns about the house elves were actually a bit more reasonable than he had thought. This was especially true as he had forgotten that he might not count as staff to give permissions to the elves at the moment. Until their official status was sorted, at least in regards to the school, there was an honest concern that they could accidentally activate the school defenses. If they made any attempt beyond an official and completely above board to retrieve their things and/or enter the school it could end in utter disaster.

"What if we owl Professor McGonagall first?" Harry suggested. "Besides shouldn't we tell Madam Bones and the Goblins that we will let them look at our memories soon?"

"~The healer will be displeased that you have risked yourselves. I _am_ displeased. You are all still hatchlings,~" Nagini hissed with blunt displeasure. "~You do not have any where near as many seasons as I under your scales or did you never wonder why it was so easy to bond with me without even your own body-form?~"

Voldemort gaped at his familiar, flummoxed by this new fact about her.

"~I have been bonded to you since before you first wailed for food with nothing but pink flesh to bite into prey with. Every wizard of your line has a spirit serpent bound to them yet most _never_ meet them. _You_ were a hatchling that I could not aid for all that you were mine before your birther bled out with you in her arms. I finally managed to merge with a mortal non-magical mother snake that was dying while your soul screamed for aid in that forest,~" Nagini hissed furiously. "~If you think for one striking move that I will let you or the other hatchlings kill yourselves through neglect or idiocy then you are very wrong and need a great deal more time in the bed-nest!~"

"How...?" Voldemort asked, completely bewildered.

"~How do you think you speak our noble tongue?~" Nagini chuckled as she lowered herself to eye level instead of towering over her unruly hatchling. "~Even those not born with it and bound to a spirit serpent since they first drew breath must have one of us to even speak. Although, more than one can be bound to one spirit serpent as can more than one spirit serpent be bound to a speaker. I made my claim to the three of you, accepted by magic, and any other mortal, immortal, or spirit among the serpents will bow to my rulings as your mother snake. A spirit serpent taking on a physical form is never easy, simple, or without importance. The fact that I am a great many more seasons old than many a being except for the fire-bird can count is but a side effect. _I_ am the one who first granted the gift of Speaking to the line now claimed to Salazar Slytherin. I refuse to see my hatchlings destroyed through pure stubbornness! You _will_ rest and we will revisit the idea of leaving the nest once all three of you stop showing signs of potential collapse, such as shaking.~"

"~Yes mother,~" Voldemort said contritely, still floored by the morning's revelations.

Nagini scented the air then nodded slowly before settling back on to the flood. She just adored the warming charms in the floor but the warm comfort would not lull her into watching her hatchlings destroy themselves. They would rest, they would heal, or she would bloody well know why!

Under the serpent's watchful eye they spent another rest day around the fire in the sitting room reading or doing quiet paperwork. Not a single one of the parselmouths tried to cross the mother serpent that day.

*+ovo+*

At Hogwarts most of the school was still in a massive amount of shock. The cause stemmed from the reappearance of the Dark Lord, the proof that Potter had been warning them in truth rather than lying, or over the fact that the Dark Lord now held Potter and Professor Snape prisoner. The only people at the school who really knew what had happened during the raid were the Staff members who doubled as Unspeakables and Hermione Granger. Of those in the know Hermione was the only one the school had proper access to that might have understood what had happened for all that there were other witnesses to the oath. Her simple answer when asked? "Harry traded himself for _our lives_! Haven't you all done enough to him?!"

Blaise Zabini, 5th year Slytherin, approached the owlery with a malicious smirk and his proudly displayed Junior Inquisitor badge on his chest. _He_ was the one who had managed to snag Potter's owl the first time for High Inquisitor Umbridge and she had tasked him to keep the owl at the school _by any means necessary_ until she returned. It was just too bad for the beauty that someone (a cousin in the ministry) reported to him that the Savior _brat_ had tried to arrange for his mother's death using his influence. A little mission for his (mafia) family, kill the beloved owl and make the family's displeasure over the clumsy attempt known.

Blaise didn't even have to nudge all that hard to get one of Potter's own dorm mates to agree to toss or destroy his things. The crazy Gryffindor Pyromaniac would probably burn them but that was no skin off of the smirking 5th year Slytherin bent on killing Potter's familiar.

Hedwig watched warily as the _boy_ wandered into the flyer's domain and looked at her with malice in his heart. If he was looking at her like _that_ then her Harry-chick was in danger!

In a flash of white Hedwig flew into his face, clawing at him as she tried to take out his eyes while batting him around the head with her strong wings. Every owl there knew the risk of a wand drawn so when he threw her against the wall and furiously drew his wand, something he had been known to do in the past against the school owls, they struck! A big barn owl slammed into his side as a pair of smaller pygmy owls worked in tandem and snatched away his wand, determined to loose the thing deep in the forest they knew well for food but rarely saw humans in. Hedwig, heavily injured, watched in grim satisfaction as he was driven from their roosting area. Breathing heavily she hoped to see her Harry-chick again but knew that with one wing and several ribs broken she might not last the night. Between the castle cats, unskilled human hands from students and staff alike, and the weather for late October/Early November in the Scottish Highlands few owls injured so badly would survive without aid.

Hedwig would fight to live as long as possible for her Harry-chick but knew that the snapping of the familiar bond would hurt him. If she managed to survive this she would make him find a magic that would let her stay with him always when she wasn't delivering messages. She would also demand a deeper familiar bond, one that went both ways better than the one she had first forged with her human chick.

With that pleasant thought Hedwig tried to go to sleep to escape the pain she couldn't even voice. The loyal owl would never wake up again, passing in the night. Her death would cause her Harry to wake up screaming and crying as he felt the familiar bond snap. The Serpent and Slytherins would cocoon him in warmth and love as they exchanged a look of pain on his behalf. Both older wizards knew the pain of loosing a familiar.


	17. Chapter 17

Harry curled into the arms of his new father and Head of the Family. Nagini guarding them, separating them from the doorway and fireplace as potential entrances.

"We felt the bond snap as you screamed," Severus finally admitted, hours after Harry had finally stopped crying.

"Who would hurt Hedwig?" Harry asked brokenly. "Why? She was just and owl. She was my first gift and my first friend..."

"Most would think that she is only a pet because of how young you are but from your reaction she was a _true_ familiar. Her death, if deliberate, will count as an assassination attempt," Voldemort explained quietly. "If you didn't perform the familiar bonding ritual..."

"The what?" Harry asked, a glimmer of interest sparking in his eyes.

"A natural familiar bond," Severus concluded with a wince.

"A natural bond, especially if the starting creature was non-magical or one of those with lower magical levels with a large magical reserve and a powerful bond... Harry, magic might give her back to you," Voldemort whispered in awe. "It could take years, more years than your life, but there is a high chance that she will be re-born as something far more magical and powerful than a simple owl."

"Really?" Harry asked with hope starting to shine in his tear stained face.

"I had forgotten about that possibility... It takes several important factors, all of which you just told us existed in your bond," Severus said thoughtfully. "Most people can't meet the requirements."

Harry was able to sleep soon after that, leaving the others awake to watch over him.

"The owl should have arrived nearly the same day we did as his familiar," Severus pointed out roughly, fighting with himself not to do something stupid and possibly wake his son.

"Which means she was trapped," Voldemort agreed grimly. "Whether he knew it or not his life has been at risk since her capture by parties unknown. If they kept her in the owlery and he simply didn't try to use her for letters for whatever reason... Harry would never have known. Too many assassination magics can use or require the capturing of a wizard's familiar. The very fact that he isn't dying in our arms means that the owl died on her own terms and not under someone's wand. Find who did this. Use the excuse that we need some of his things and go without us come morning. Hopefully the owl marked the one who killed her."

"By law killing a pet is a fine... Killing a _familiar_ is a murder charge," Severus agreed grimly. "I will head to Hogwarts for breakfast.

Voldemort watched over Harry as he slept through the morning, unaware that his father was raging through Hogwarts in search of Hedwig's killer.


	18. Chapter 18

Severus Tobias Snape fumed as he stalked up the pathway from Hogsmeade to the castle entrance. Adopted or not, a long time spent as his son or not, _someone had hurt his child_! He would find out the perpetrator and they would _rue_ the day they had been born!

Deciding on shock tactics and blunt demands Severus stormed into the castle and, upon a mental check of the date and time, into the Great Hall during breakfast without a pause in his stride.

"Severus?! What?!" Minerva McGonagall spluttered as she watched her colleague and long time friend stalk into the Great Hall in an overwhelming fury.

"Who killed Potter's owl?!" Severus demanded, voice thundering across the hall and quieting all those present.

"Severus?" Flitwick inquired carefully. He knew something had gone wrong by the simple fact that Severus was _here_ rather than with young Mr. Potter.

"What are the by-laws regarding the _murder_ of a naturally bound familiar?" Severus asked his fellow staff bitingly. Those staff in the hall paled simultaneously.

"Oh god!" Minerva whispered into the silence of the hall.

"Is he alright?" Aurora Sinestra demanded. Her fellow staff, especially the other under cover members, _needed_ to know this!

"We were with him when the bond broke and were able to quickly stabilize his magic as he grieved. I have no doubt that he is still sleeping off what little of it he can. Even with the stabilization if his health had been any worse than it already is he would be dead and so would a large area of magical Britain as his control collapsed with more force than Dumbledore could ever muster," Severus informed them furiously. "Whoever killed his familiar will be facing official charges and possibly the _Dark Lord_ for their idiocy! I doubt their family or the Ministry will argue the point either."

"You can't do a thing, _sir_. It was authorized by the Ministry's High Inquisitor," Blaise Zabini smirked darkly. "Then again considering who my family is I doubt the Dark Lord wants a shadow war, especially with his new... status. Besides, it wasn't a familiar, just a pet - one that drew too much blood as it died."

"Stupid as fuck. Even the Gryffs know better!" Malfoy swore as he scrambled away from his brain dead yearmate. The other Slytherins followed suit. It was clear that the idiot didn't realize his power play within the house had just screwed him over.

Zabini gloated smugly as the furious Potions Master stalked towards him, unaware that his life was forfeit for the favor to his cousin. He didn't care about the growing upset of his schoolmates, after all he was Heir to the Zabini Lordship and part of the family for one of the powerful Italian mafia bosses. They wouldn't _dare_ touch him and if they did they would find swift, vicious retaliation even if Blaise couldn't do it himself.

"Wrong!" Severus snarled as he reached his student only to grab him by the back his shirt and hold him up high like a naughty puppy or kitten.

"Severus, unless this attack qualifies as a knowing assassination attempt I can't let you take Mr. Zabini," McGonagall warned with a grimace and an open reluctance to stop her friend. "Even with it being a murder charge due to the owl's familiar status all I can do is call for the Aurors."

"Did you receive a copy of our health assessments?" Severus inquired, still glaring at the helpless and disarmed brat that was by now actually starting to look worried.

"I haven't had the pleasure... Why?" Minerva asked suspiciously. The majority of the staff got an immediate sinking feeling in their guts when it came to what appeared to be the man's non-sequitur.

"The bond with the owl is not the only one the green-eyed imp is sporting to say nothing of the protection oaths I happen to be under," Severus growled. "To say nothing of exactly how... upset the Dark Lord happens to be over the damage the imp suffered from the backlash while in his care with his own oath on the line!"

Severus didn't comment that it also counted as an assassination attempt against both Harry and Voldemort because of the soul connection. He would discuss _that_ little gem with his colleagues in private on the off chance that Harry would return to the school for classes at a later time.

Minerva closed her eyes briefly in comprehension. The little idiot had nearly killed Harry _and_ Severus on top of murdering Harry's familiar. Then too the protection aspect of the deal in Hogsmeade was nearly voided by the death of the familiar and the backlash from the breaking of the familiar bond!

"Which means that Mr. Zabini, regardless of reason, attempted to kill someone who holds life debts for every captured person from the Hogsmeade incident. Assuming we count all of the _other_ times Mr. Potter protected us I dare say he owes Potter a few life debts himself with at least one confirmed as a baby. This means that he has directly caused harm to the debt holder," Flitwick reminded all of the staff.

"Actually," Hermione spoke up hesitantly into the grumbling quiet of the hall, drawing all eyes and arresting all movement. "Harry saved everyone from You-Know-Who at least three times since coming to Hogwarts. Didn't Dumbledore tell the staff?"

"No, he did not. It is something that is being officially addressed once the paperwork is in order. Expect to be interviewed by the Aurors and Gringotts," Severus said shortly as he eased up on his captive student enough to let him breathe instead of being lightly choked by his tightly gripped uniform shirt. The school robes being gripped supported most of Zabini's weight so there wasn't a real risk of hurting the idiot... yet.

"Yes, sir," Hermione acknowledged. She quickly sat back down, having stood up to properly address everyone.

Hermione had hesitated to ask if Harry was alright but instead found herself glaring at a mutinous Ron scowling into his food. The prat's hatred of all things Slytherin had flared once again and combined with his jealousy of Harry. Hatred helped along by one yearmate with a need to conjure rum and a knack for fire both boys had, unknown to Hermione, burned Harry's things. Ron had kept a few of the more valuable items and this would be not only his downfall but also that of Seamus Finnigan.

"Perhaps this should be discussed _away_ from the students? We should also call the Aurors in any case," Pamona Sprout suggested delicately. She knew that this situation could easily turn dangerous just by glancing at the various upset students and the anger plainly displayed on Severus' features.

"Let me see the boy. I'll see to anything wrong with his health and you can collect him _after_ you talk with the others or, if necessary, the Aurors," Madam Pomphrey said with a scowl. Having finally parsed out what the devil they were talking about after not enough rest the night before she hustled over to where Severus still gripped the 5th year firmly by the collar.

Severus allowed her to collect his student reluctantly, tossing a stunner at the younger wizard as a precaution. He didn't bother to argue with the glare of disapproval he got back from the Medi-witch in return. It wasn't like Zabini was leaving the grounds without him or an Auror escort and he did have to speak privately with the other staff. Then too he also had to retrieve Harry's things as well as some of his own belongings from his quarters. Unfortunately his suspicious nature found the brat's _rescue_ entirely too convenient. There was also the problem of the brat's act against Harry's familiar being ministry sanctioned. There would be hell to pay when he brought _that_ nugget back to the Dark Lord.

Severus allowed himself to be ushered away to one of the staff only areas and settled in with breakfast, complete with his normal unending coffee. His colleagues knew him a bit too well.


	19. Chapter 19

Coffee and food calmed Severus' temper greatly but only banked the outrage and protective upset in regards to his son. It was a fairly well known fact among the attentive members of the staff that he had a bad habit of skipping meals. This was especially true when he was working on something for the students or facing something that he perceived as a potential danger. The fact that someone he was particularly protective over had already been hurt by the incident just made him more dangerous against the threat.

"Alright, now that you aren't ready to murder the boy right off... what exactly happened?" Filius asked pointedly as Severus finished his breakfast.

Severus gazed at first the part goblin and then the rest of the attending staff, the disaster squad, over the rim of his coffee cup. What he saw was confirmation of years of suspicion for these particular... friends. Not a single one was using their normal professional mask nor the more informal mask meant to conceal personal secrets but still be friendly. Every last one of them were waiting for an official briefing but had otherwise let down _all_ their masks. Setting aside his cup he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Officially? The brat snapped a powerful, _natural_ , familiar bond by killing Harry's familiar. It was made clear by Harry's reaction that he knew there was a bond but had no idea it was anything beyond friendship. It was also clear that had he been alone... well we would have been lucky to find him before he died. Off the _public_ record... Harry has unknowingly protected a piece of the Dark Lord's soul since his parents died, tying them together. Something which will _not_ be explicitly stated in any report you write except to the goblins who already know the particulars. You can tell the Unspeakables that their lives and sanity are now accidentally tied together but also that neither are eager to attempt to remove the link due to the established risks. The sanity issue was publicly established as corrected but not explained to anyone except the goblins," Severus told them bluntly. "Unofficially? any threat to Harry counts as an assassination attempt against _both_ of them. If Harry some how dies but the Dark Lord does not he will return to insanity and begin slaughtering indiscriminately once more. If the Dark Lord some how dies but Harry survives... there is a similar risk but it isn't as strong. This is in large part due to a higher risk of possession by the Dark Lord's anchored spirit and the fact that Harry has protectively cradled a portion of the Dark Lord since infancy. Any plan that Dumbledore had would have eventually called for Harry's death, possibly forcing him to walk to his own death."

The silence in the room was stunning.

"Horcrux?" Minerva murmured into the quiet. The text detailing the dark ritual involved, until fairly recently ie. thirty years ago, had been in the Restricted Section in the library. As a result most of the Unspeakables on staff had read it, along with the rest of the Restricted Section, simply for a leg up on anyone doing something stupid that they would have to fix.

"Plural," Severus confirmed. "The Gringotts healer already chewed him out over it, apparently it happens roughly every 50 years since the relevant text was published, and he has agreed to the available healing process. Sadly, Harry will forever be tied to him as there is no way to remove the soul shard safely from a living vessel. On the bright side, for this particular incident, Harry's owl may possibly qualify for magical rebirth and Harry will never want for anything if the Dark Lord has his way."

More than one of his audience groaned.

"Its always Mr. Potter," Filus commented with not little amount of exasperation shared by his colleagues.

"You know I was honestly upset when Mrs. Norris was petrified but I never did want any of the kiddies near whatever did it. If Potter hadn't been in a perfect position to have done it with the whole school _right there_ I probably would have dragged him off," Filtch said thoughtfully. "I think we can all admit to occasionally putting him in detention or something similar just to keep him in sight and in range of help. With Dumbledore there I really had to stay in my role."

"We all did and that wasn't the only time either," Minerva grumbled. "On the other hand whatever the beastie was it was clearly a danger to everyone and that bloody idiot wouldn't let us get the children out! I had the house elves on stand by to start grabbing every student and just taking them away to Hogsmeade or Diagon or the Ministry Atrium if someone, anyone, actually died. Cover or no cover!"

"We will get answers soon enough," Severus told them all soothingly. "Harry will be sharing his memories and I invite you to join us in reviewing them... if only to help fix whatever security holes they reveal. I, by no means, want him back here without them fixed!"

"Severus?" Aurora asked warily, having picked up on something most of them had missed.

Choosing his words carefully now that they were focused on him rather than the news he held on his son Severus worked out how to tell them.

"There was... an impromptu adoption ceremony. The imp is now my son and we were both adopted into the houses of Slytherin, Gaunt, and Peverell under the Headship of the Dark Lord. The only reason I was allowed to return to the castle unsupervised is that Harry can't be moved and we had to know what happened with his owl," Severus said very carefully, refusing to look at them. "I am expected back with news and Harry's things before night fall, implied though the time limit might have been."

"Is there any chance that he will let one or both of you return more permanently?" Filius asked cautiously, wary of unknown bindings on the younger teacher.

"Possibly, although I will tell you now that any return to the castle is going to be conditional," Severus told them all flatly. "Additionally, after what damage was found on Potter when we were checked I would not trust Poppy with anyone's actual health. The only reason I let her take Mr. Zabini were that he wasn't actually hurt and my temper right now would not be conducive to healing him. As it stands, even if I can get away with letting the Aurors take him instead of dragging him before the Dark Lord, I _will_ be snapping his wand in front of him. His mother will also be sent a letter explaining exactly why the Zabini family is now on the verge of a blood feud with the houses of Potter, Prince, Peverell, Gaunt, and Slytherin. I doubt that she will be... pleased."

"Lovely," Minerva grimaced. "You were always our back up if we couldn't trust Poppy. I wont even address the politics on this, to say nothing on how Sirius Black will react to the news!"

"Well, we have the evidence now or at least enough of it to act and summon a replacement," Filius said grimly. "I will see if I can get someone from the nation here posing as a cousin or something to cover the two positions. I realize that all of us have a very basic knowledge of healing but I really don't think its a good idea to go without someone with an actual or near mastery for both Healing and Potions. Especially not with this many magical children learning and away from easily summoned help."

"Black is... compromised," Severus pointed out with polite sourness. "I advise you to tell him that the alternative was Harry's death, which is true but through the death of his familiar rather than by the hand of the Dark Lord. Tell him I managed to protect my son but this was the only method available at the time, which was true, in a sense. It was just less protection from the Dark Lord and more from Dumbledore and his relatives. Both of whom will in fact be dying the moment any of us can get our hands on them. I will ensure that you get copies of his health report to see why but I advise you to have downed a double strength calming draught before reading it. If necessary tell Black that it was done, on my end, for Lily but that I will allow Narcissa to train him in the Black family traditions without interference if the imp is his heir. If he can get cleared both legally and medically then he can argue for time with Harry, not before."

"If he is compromised then I presume that he isn't to be allowed near Mr. Potter regardless of intent or actual guilt?" Filius concluded questioningly. Severus' sharp nod answered that for everyone present.

"He is an animagus, a Black Irish Wolfhound that greatly resembles a Grim. He was the cause of Mr. Weasley's broken leg back at the end of their third year," Severus informed them all. "I have also caught him repeatedly referring to Harry as James. While I went close to that route as well it was more in keeping with my mask. It was a very easy route to take because I had honestly thought that James had initiated a full on magical feud. Harry disproved that in Hogsmeade and we have worked it out with an apology and a new beginning. This led, in part, to the adoption ritual."

"The extra dog that Hagrid was feeding all year," Minerva groaned, rubbing at her head as a headache started building with a vengeance.

"The only good thing that came out of that mess was that he kept Lupin, transformed and without his potion, away from the available students," Severus said with a growl. "I honestly thought he was an active threat, partly because he did try to kill me as a student via Lupin. Which is why I tried very hard to get him dealt with immediately. I was unconscious for the little confession session in the Shrieking Shack that year but got it out of Lupin at a later date. Not that I could remove either of them after he got his hooks into Harry with Dumbledore encouraging it while limiting my own ability for even basic civility with my son."

"That... explains a great deal," Minerva sighed. She paused long enough to sip at her tea as they all thought about the delivered news.

"How can you share all of this?" Aurora wondered aloud.

"The oath was to protect Harry, my actions thus far are further protection for my son. As long as the Dark Lord is sane he will protect Harry viciously, something which will extend to most of the other students upon Harry's return to Hogwarts," Severus pointed out. "As long as we deal swiftly with any threat to him from the other students the situation provides a prodigious layer of protection for everyone at Hogwarts."

"Can't argue with that," Filtch grumbled in grumpy agreement as the others made various noises of understanding.

"Now that your inquisition is done I need to retrieve my brat's things. As I doubt that you will let me take Mr. Zabini with me I will leave him here to be collected by the Aurors," Severus said pointedly as he set aside his mostly empty cup of coffee. The look on Minerva's face briefly gave him pause before continuing to speak. "Unless you have something else that needs my attention?"

"Mr. Potter's things were burned last night in his dorm room. This combined with the lack attendance to the owlery after 3pm yesterday was part of why we weren't aware of the death of his owl," Minerva McGonagall informed him regretfully. "We have not had a chance to see what was stolen or otherwise survived as the fire occurred around 7pm last night. I did manage to identify the culprits who destroyed his things and they were to be searched after breakfast for any surviving items. Among the destroyed items were most of his school things, his clothes, his broom, a photo album, and several letters."

"Who?" Severus practically snarled. His fury was clear and easily understandable to all present.

"Seamus Finnigan and Ronald Weasley," Minerva admitted sourly. "I have no idea if the twins helped their brother or tried to rescue anything for... your son. It is, however, well known that Mr. Finnigan blames your son for nearly not being able to return and Mr. Weasley's frequent jealousy is, as you know, a problem combined with his temper. As Albus is not here to stop me from demanding restitution on your son's behalf. I had planned to assign detention for the remainder of the year and inform their families that they would have to pay to replace everything burned with a fine for anything stolen. The return of the stolen items would also be demanded. Any attempt to circumvent this punishment would, assuming Albus didn't interfere, result in suspension or expulsion. I take the destruction of another student's things at this level to be an active assault."

"Albus was arrested for trying to assault Harry at the official magical conclave mere days ago. I am surprised that you weren't notified," Severus told them tightly. "Officially the Dark Lord has not received a pardon but his reasoning behind his previous actions and the insanity that Dumbledore displayed at the conclave has altered things. He is currently undergoing treatment, as I informed you earlier, and his actions re-examined. Dumbledore... is either sitting in a cell or awaiting treatment at St. Mungoes. After he bound my son's magic I say good riddance!"

"He _what?!_ " Filius growled low in a fury of his own that was mirrored across the room by all present.

"You heard me," Severus said curtly. "Both my son and the Dark Lord had to stop me from trying to take his head when the binding broke in front of the entire conclave! Then came the death of his familiar and now you are telling me that his things have been destroyed! Any one of these things is reason enough for either myself of the Dark Lord to insist on tutoring instead of returning to Hogwarts. Give me one good reason not to encourage that particular outcome!"

"We can not," Minerva murmured, pain and shame coloring her voice. Poor Mr. Potter, taking blows that would break an adult wizard. It was not a recompense for saving them as an infant that any _sane_ magical would wish on the boy.

"Assuming we return for any reason my son will room with me and will in effect be transferred into Slytherin house," Severus informed them sharply. "At least in my own house I can keep an eye on him. Now, should we not locate what remains of my son's things?"

"We understand," Minerva murmured as the group of teachers followed their fellow in heading towards Gryffindor Tower. She was rather glad that she had sent the students off to their common rooms while they had handled Severus. It would make finding Mr. Weasley and Mr. Finnigan as well as anything they had stolen from Mr. Potter's things much more simple.

"Finnigan! Weasley!" Severus Snape roared in full dungeon bat mode as he stalked into the Gryffindor common room, McGonagall at his heels.

The two boys took one look at their Professor and bolted. The Weasley twins, having realized that this had something to do with Harry, caught the fleeing duo and dragged them back before the teachers.

"What have you done?" Ginny Weasley demanded darkly. She knew that to have the twins react like _that_ was not a good thing.

"Nothing!" Ron protested hotly. Finnigan, on the other hand, just looked at the two teachers in a mix of defiance and terror.

"Would the elder Mr. Weasleys please retrieve any and all items that rightfully belong to Mr. Potter from his dorm and report where they were each located?" Minerva instructed with a hard edge.

The twins exchanged worried looks but quickly obeyed. The shouts of shock and outrage from the pair echoed down into the common room a few minutes later. The grim return of the pair holding only Harry's invisibility cloak and what appeared to be an old spare bit of parchment shocked those of Gryffindor house who saw them.

"The parchment is an enchanted heirloom that we gave to Harry and the cloak he got for Christmas in first year," Fred said grimly as they handed over the rescued items.

"Both of them were in Ron's truck. Everything else that was Harry's was burned to bits but we had cast jointly to be extra sure," George added. "I'm betting from where the parchment and the cloak were that Ron helped Finnigan to burn Harry's things."

"Detention for the rest of the year with Filtch. Your parents will be written and they will have to pay for replacements," Minerva informed them flatly. "You have also lost Gryffindor 150 points each. This act is just shy of attacking another student with intent to _murder_ them. I will have to inform the Aurors and should Mr. Potter's new guardian demand it you may be limited on your OWL scores."

"Believe me, he will be seriously thinking about it if I can talk the wizard out of expressing his displeasure personally," Severus sneered at the two idiotic boys. "Please ask Aurora to cover my Head of House duties until I can return to the castle on a more permanent basis rather than trying to keep Potter alive in the Dark Lord's hands. I will contact a colleague to see if they would be willing to stand in for my teaching duties for the same reason."

"Of course Severus. Despite what these two and Mr. Zabini have indicated we are grateful that you both were willing to protect the rest of us by becoming hostages," Professor McGonagall said pointedly. Severus nodded and left heading for the main doors of the castle to leave with what precious little he was able to retrieve for his son.


	20. Chapter 20

Harry knew that something else beyond the pain of loosing Hedwig was wrong almost the moment he woke and looked at Sn... his father. The way that he was still cuddled in bed with Voldemort and Nagini but his father was standing at the edge of the bed, fully dressed with bits of soot, told him that Severus had been away and come back. The medium wooden box, coffin, in his hands told Harry that they had retrieved Hedwig so that he could say good bye.

"Hedwig wasn't the only thing they took... was she?" Harry croaked, swallowing to try and get some moisture going in his mouth.

"No," Severus said softly. "Professor McGonagall kindly transfigured the box and Professor Flitwick charmed it with... preservation spells. We can discuss anything further to do for her later today once you've eaten and dressed. As to your other things... I was able to retrieve the enchanted parchment and your invisibility cloak but the rest were destroyed. Those who destroyed your things are being punished by _my_ standards and the one who killed your owl is being reported to the Aurors. I do, however, believe the pointed letter to his mother about the young idiot potentially starting a blood feud with our houses will have more of an impact than the murder charge. I am sorry Harry."

"We will replace what we can," Voldemort told him as he was dragged upwards into a proper hug while Severus set the beautifully transfigured coffin box on a small nearby table.

"Can we... bury her? Maybe near my... James and Lily?" Harry requested as tears began streaming down his face.

"Of course," Voldemort agreed. Nagini hissed her own agreement. She knew one of the only reasons that she understood this need to say good bye and grieve was because of how long she had been a spirit serpent attached to various human members of the Slytherin line. A mortal snake would have only seen food in the form of the dead owl rather than a lost family member.

That afternoon the family stood in front of the statue that represented Harry and his birth parents from that fateful Halloween night. Hedwig was laid to rest at the foot of the statue with a granite carved owl, permanently transfigured, placed over her grave. The foot of the small statue read: Valiant in death, Hedwig died defending her wizard, HJP.

Harry had thought this was fitting after his small family had explained what they had found out about Hedwig's death and why she should have shown up the same day they had arrived. To say that Harry had been upset was an understatement but he had been proud of his winged friend too when he realized what it meant that he wasn't crippled. Hedwig had protected his mind and sometimes his body at Private Drive during the summers. That she had died doing so one last time just proved to him that she had been the best owl in the world.

"~Come,~" Voldemort hissed after they stood over the new grave for half an hour.

Harry, still somewhat dazed from finally being able to let go of Hedwig properly, followed docilely with Severus, his father, at his back. A quick trip and they were back at Malfoy Manor, once more heading for the Dark Lord's suite. Staggering, Harry was kept from falling on his face by the sure potion stained grip that he was coming to trust for more than just potions and detentions.

"What is wrong with you?" Severus asked with open concern.

"I dunno, feel weak, tired," Harry answered dazedly. Severus frowned and checked him with a quick diagnostic charm. Before Harry could notice he was swept up into his father's strong arms and being rapidly carried to bed.

"Foolish brat! You've nearly drained your magic fueling that owl's rebirth," Severus scolded sharply. He hadn't even known that a wizard could drain themselves in an attempt to help a familiar to their rebirth!

"How bad?" Voldemort asked with a frown.

"From the amount of magic that was drained down the broken link... she might very well be reborn within the year, presuming she didn't pick a fairly powerful new form," Severus admitted with a grimace. "The healer will most certainly be upset and I am not best pleased with the imp myself. He could have killed himself with that stunt!"

Voldemort scowled. He had no idea when he had agreed to take only Harry and Severus instead of the other students that the imp had such trouble simply staying alive! Not that he regretted it considering everything he had learned and his own now much more stable sanity. The removal of Dumbledore and its ripple of effects, while pleasant, was more of a bonus to him. No, the _real_ prize was securing the safety of his small family for all that they hadn't actually been family at that point beyond sharing the serpent tongue.

"~You need to care for the hatchling very carefully this night,~" Nagini hissed in worry. "~He needs to know he is not alone, that he is still a part of our nest. Wrap around him so that he knows we are here.~"

"As much as I hate to say it we also need the rest," Voldemort grimaced at the thought of the time lost to recovery that they desperately needed. "I have pushed us too hard and too fast after the health check to be safe. Seeing him limp in your arms only proves how stupid I've been. He wont complain, I can see that now, but I need to take better care of both of you."

"~I have been warning you of that for days!~" Nagini snapped at him as she settled on her warm spot in front of the fire. She knew her lack of natural body heat wouldn't help once she had hustled the trio back into bed.

"Hot chocolate with a serving of bangers and mash, I think. The sausage will provide a solid base combined with the mashed potatoes to settle him for a bit," Severus muttered as he set Harry down on their bed.

A quick bit of spell work had Harry switched into clean nightwear without being exposed to the cool air of the room nor the two older wizards themselves unnecessarily. Harry just wearily closed his eyes and cuddled into the older two wizards when they joined him in bed. His next meal would in fact be hot chocolate with equally hot bangers and mash. They would rest for three days before an owl arrived requesting a meeting to officially collect their respective memories. Dumbledore was being charged with Attempted Murder against the entire school and Abuse as well as Accessory to Abuse against Harry himself with further charges pending.

The wizarding world wanted answers and Harry was the only one with enough of them all at once to get anywhere quickly.


	21. Chapter 21

Hedwig looked around the strange white place for her Harry-chick only to be met with the form of a human-like skeleton. The skeleton was draped in black with a scythe in its bony grip and a silver blade at its waist.

"Your Harry-chick was successfully protected by your sacrifice," the skeleton being chuckled softly. "He also provided enough magic that you can find him again fairly quickly, even if he hurt himself to do so. Choose."

In front of Hedwig several images shimmered into existence, most of them highly magical. The Fire Phoenix was majestic and powerful, looking very much like that silly Fawkes, with a never ending fire affinity. The rare Ice Phoenix was strong and beautiful, looking more like her original snowy owl form, with an ice affinity. The strange Water Phoenix was more water than bird, able to be in or manifest as either air or water without issue, and with a strong water affinity and a fondness for sushi. The Occamy was a slightly odd option with its ability to change size at will and fill any space, big or small. The Dragons, which were represented by a baby dragon of each of the ten official types as well as several unofficial ones dumped in an illusionary puppy pile, was even more unexpected for the flying options. Of the four Winged horses Hedwig had seen her chick studying about only the two Harry had actually seen, the Abraxan and the Thestral, were given as options. The Thunderbird and Roc seemed interesting but were, like the dragons, far too large without a shrinking option. For the last two she could see she especially favored the Griffin over the Hippogriff, even if Buckbeak had been somewhat tolerable.

Then came those options which could not fly. For those that counted as somewhat feline Hedwig saw a large magical wild cat that resembled a panther, a Nundu, a Zouwu (which she learned was an elephant sized cat that was able to travel large distances), a Kneazle, a Sphinx, and a Chimera. She liked the idea of a Basilisk or other magical serpent so that she could actually talk with her human chick. Then too the Unicorn, Demiguise, Veela, Centaur were also interesting if a bit too land bound for her preference. The Fairy, Doxy, Niffler, Moke, Murtlap, Puffskin, Imp, Kappa, Kelpie, Merperson, and Troll were all automatically out.

"^If I pick a big form can I change size so that I can follow and protect my Harry-chick?^" Hedwig hooted thoughtfully. She had also noticed that the Veela, Centaur, and Merperson were probably more magical _beings_ than creatures and wondered what price tag was attached to them. After all having a right to her human chick that even the other two-leggers had to respect would be useful. Then again she was probably going to start as an egg again and need to grow up before finding her Harry-chick. Oh, bother!

"Hm, that is a bit of a dilemma," the skeleton thing mused. "I presume that you want to be able to protect him if he gets in over his head?"

Hedwig chirruped her rueful agreement, indicating that she didn't think he _could_ stay out of trouble.

"Well to ensure that I would have to eliminate a few options," the skeleton noted. Hedwig shrugged and nodded. With a chuckle he removed the Water Phoenix, the Thunderbird, the Roc, All of the ten official Dragons (but not the extra 4 she was completely unfamiliar with), the Fairy, and the Doxy from the fliers. The Chimera, Demiguise, Niffler, Moke, Murtlap, Puffskin, Imp, Kappa, Kelpie, Merperson, and Troll also disappeared from the earth bound list. The two remaining Phoenixes, Unicorn, Griffin, Abraxan, Nundu, and Basilisk wavered a bit before returning.

This, Hedwig thought, could take a while....


	22. Chapter 22

It seemed like an eternity as the former Snowy Owl looked through her choices.

Fire or Ice Phoenix, Occamy, 4 unknown Dragons, Abraxan, Thestral, Griffin, Hippogriff, a Large Magical Wild Cat, Nundu, Zouwu, Kneazle, Sphinx, Basilisk/Other magical serpent, Unicorn, Veela, Centaur. These were what remained of what she could actually officially pick from. The Veela and Centaur were out because they would take too long to grow old enough to be able to find and protect her chick. The others she could work with even if finding herself as a baby dragon would be a serious stretch to protecting her Harry-chick.

As Hedwig looked over her options as offered by the being she now concluded was a representation of Death and a sneaky thought crossed her mind. Death let her add one ability to help protect her chick what about _more_? Then too something told her there were hidden options...

"^I am willing to sacrifice more to reveal hidden options and know if I can add more extras,^" Hedwig told a very patient Death respectfully.

"Oh? Have you any in mind to sacrifice or will you risk loosing what form you want in trade?" Death asked with a chuckle. "You have already given up more than half of your options for eternity to claim a permanent ability to resize yourself at will and boost any familiar bond you form."

"^I will sacrifice the Thestral, Abraxan, Veela, Centaur, and Hippogriff if you are willing,^" Hedwig offered quickly. She thought it was a good thing she had asked as she hadn't known about loosing the forms for eternity or about the other two abilities being permanent. The familiar bond being boosted was also a surprise in and of itself. Then again the permanent ability to resize on a whim? That basically removed her largest reasons for looking at the Occamy as she had purchased its primary magical ability. She would leave it as an option for now but there wasn't as much drive to pick it anymore.

"Done," Death said in satisfaction. The chosen forms disappeared in a flash. "There are no hidden forms per say but you may purchase the opportunity to have multiple forms of no more than 3 total. You may also purchase no more than 3 specific additions to your forms which will create a new magical creature in the end that will carry down to your children. One option which will not carry down in your line's blood is a form of immortality or rebirth for this first returning bond with your Harry-chick so that you can not die permanently until he does. The rebirth would manifest similar to a Phoenix's Burning or Freezing day depending upon the chosen forms. This would cycle your base form for each rebirth if you choose to have multiple forms. By sacrificing everything but your chosen forms you will gain all of the specific options I just listed as well as placement in a location near your Harry-chick so that he will receive you shortly after rebirth. Once your Harry has died and moved on to be with his parents your immortality and rebirth cycle would end. Your mortality would revert to what amounts to normal for your forms."

"^I will sacrifice the Kneazle, Zouwu, and Sphinx for the 3 forms now if you are willing?^" Hedwig chirruped. She assumed that he would want at least 3 forms to pay for the option to have 3 forms and was shortly proven correct.

"Done," Death agreed with a chuckle, vanishing the three illusions with a flash.

This left her with a Fire or Ice Phoenix, an Occamy, 4 unknown Dragons, a Griffin, a Large Magical Wild Cat, a Nundu, a Basilisk or other magical serpent, and a Unicorn to pick from. Decisions, decisions.

Hedwig had to be careful. There was no doubt in her mind that once she had chosen her 3 forms she would sacrifice the others for the remaining gifts that Death had offered. Oh she knew what he was doing. He was purposefully limiting her so that she couldn't become an immortal terror until the rebirth of all things and permanently locking her in her chosen forms. She just didn't see it as an issue.

"May I assume that you will be sacrificing those you do not pick for the remaining options?" Death asked in open amusement. Hedwig nodded her agreement and watched as the Unicorn disappeared. "The Unicorn is incompatible with too many of the others and the mix could drive you insane so that you kill your Harry-chick. I will take it now as I do not believe that one who has sacrificed so much to get back to their child would be willing to take such a risk. You may pick an additional 4th ability with its loss."

Hedwig hooted in fervent agreement. She did not want to kill her Harry-chick! Right then she knew that it didn't matter how long this was going to take to pick her forms she would _not risk her Harry-chick_!

"^The rebirth,^" Hedwig told him, after a moment of thought.

"Rebirth as necessary for the duration of your bond with your Harry-chick, permanent resizing at will, a stronger than usual familiar bond, and 3 base forms are what you have attached to your soul thus far," Death listed again helpfully. "I would list them as Limited Rebirth, Resizing, a Strong Familiar Bond, and 3 Forms for short."

"^The Ice Phoenix, Nundu, and one of the Dragons are to be my forms,^" Hedwig said, finally coming to a decision.

Hedwig knew that she would likely favor the Ice Phoenix form just because of how similar it is to her original owl body. Its transport and healing abilities would be a major bonus if those dangerous fat idiots had hurt her Harry-chick again. The Nundu with its ability to pass for a normal kitten would be best for letting her Harry-chick cuddle but still dangerous enough to let her fight in a pinch. The dragon... well it was powerful, dangerous, could breath fire, and was closely enough related to oversized serpents that she should be able to talk to her chick with a little effort. The only downside to her picks was that only the Phoenix form would be seen as an acceptable familiar for her chick.

"Done. Your descendants will have one base form with the option to acquire two more as they age, similar to a human animagus. The resizing at will is also attached to your blood for your children as well as the stronger familiar bond. Until you have bonded with your Harry-chick the other two forms will be locked to you," Death told her as the remaining options vanished. Hedwig barely managed to flinch in shock before experiencing _pain_ as the forms merged with her soul and she passed out. Blackness engulfed her for a good long while after that and it was only much later that she would realize how unspecific she had been about her dragon form...

*+ovo+*

Harry slowly ate his breakfast, clearly doing his absolute best to avoid going to the Ministry with his Captor/New Head of Family and his Potions Professor/New Father. The summons had arrived the night before listing all three of them as different witnesses to the same event. The official citation title was "to present memories in regards to the resurrection of the Dark Lord and the events leading up to said resurrection". Harry had winced at that phrasing. At a guess they only thought they were going to cover the Third Task and the actual resurrection ritual. The problem was that the phrasing actually covered every single "adventure" for each of his previous four school years. He had, after all, stopped Voldemort from actually resurrecting twice and in third year Pettigrew's escape was vital to completing the resurrection at the end of the tournament. Harry just knew that this was going to blow up in his face.

"Brat, at worst you will be writing out essays on how to do better and lines on thinking before you act," Severus scowled, entirely fed up with Harry's quiet worry. "We may be working with the Aurors for the moment but we are still officially captives and hostages. We can't be arrested for any of your foolish stunts. Depending upon how badly you risked your life and the lives of your fellow students you might be turned over my knee for swats to your rear end and your broom confiscated. Alternatively, I may have you cleaning cauldrons nightly for the next thirty years. In all of that you still _won't be harmed_. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry muttered distractedly. As odd as it might sound he now trusted these two wizards not to hurt him physically. That might change once his deal about not being tortured or killed officially ended with the Dark Lord but for now he was completely safe... physically.

Oh, he knew why they were irritated. They didn't know yet, beyond the tournament, exactly what he had needed to face each year. Harry was under no illusion that he would get out of this with only a scolding. The thought of the wizarding world turning on him again wasn't pleasant either.

Voldemort impatiently sorted them out ten minutes later and they flooed to the Ministry complete with Harry's usual attempt to face plant as he was flung from the fireplace. The original healer exam had explained part of why he was so terrible at most magical transportation. Simply put with how many times Petunia had slammed her iron skillet into his head she had cracked his skull often enough that each time his magic repaired it there was a slight residue left behind. That residue of magic resonated so strongly with the transportation magics that his skull literally rattled his brain slightly every time it took effect. It didn't apply to brooms because the broom's magic formed a weak protective bubble around the flyer to help protect from the G forces when breaking. This meant that the magic was wrapped more loosely around Harry when he flew than at any other time using magical transport. The Knight Bus didn't count as it was its own manic insanity.

They were met by an escort which immediately led them to the elevators and not a word was spoken between them until they were led out on to the courtroom floor.

"I am afraid that there was enough official interest from multiple ruling parties that we will need to view them from a projector pensive down in courtroom ten. It was one of the reasons that it took us so long to contact you for the memories. Instead of just sending an Auror around to collect them, thanks to Dumbledore's clear insanity during the Conclave, several standing treaties now rest on viewing them jointly," Amelia Bones told them apologetically, finally speaking. "The extra memory copies will be sealed before we start and handed out to each group at the end of the viewing for later detailed examination by those attending. The press will be restricted in what it can publish and kept away from all of you in the public seating area."

"This was _not_ in the missive," Voldemort growled lowly. The offered safe passage was certainly more understandable with _this_ set up though. He didn't like taking this risk but he had offered his own memories and it wasn't like they could get out of sharing Harry's as well. Besides, he was _extremely_ interested in viewing things from Harry's side for his own sake. If nothing else it would help him counter the damage that Dumbledore had already done to his human Horcrux and ward. That didn't mean he was going to be _stupid_ and let his panthers out of arm's reach but needs must.

They entered peacefully into Courtroom 10, the largest of the currently used Courtrooms, and saw that everything had been set up already. Among the audience Harry recognized all of the three remaining Heads of House from Hogwarts and many of the people who had attended the conclave. Severus stayed at his son's back, guarding him, even as Voldemort kept the lead and made certain that they stayed close to him. Their seats were obvious and not one comment was issued as they sat down in their own area off to one side.

"Before we begin, I would like to remind you all that this is a formal joint inquiry and that no charges can or will be filed at this time. The press will be restricted on what it can publish on pain of summary execution as a threat to our world has been established and what memories we view today are to help clarify certain facts. That said, under magical law, the Dark Lord can not be charged with any crimes prior to his regaining his body due to the Rebirth law. Medical evidence has also been submitted proving his previous lack of sanity and his current return to sanity. You will be given copies of that evidence as well as duplicated copies of the memories viewed in this inquiry. Questions?" Madam Bones announced to those assembled.

"Gringotts would request that Mr. Potter's most impressive feat of combat be viewed first to establish a warrior baseline," the goblin representative quickly informed her. There was a mutter of interest and agreement from the various others present.

Harry mentally winced as he had no idea how to pick that. Was it the time he fought the Basilisk? The time he out flew a Dragon during the tournament? The graveyard duel? Facing off against those Dementor hoards in third year? He just didn't know. It wasn't like he was trying to fight anything. His only goal during all of the "combat incidents" was to stay alive and get away to safety.

"Er, I don't know what qualifies," Harry offered quickly, hoping they would just drop it.

"List them," Severus ordered, his tone brooking no argument. Harry, hoping to avoid showing a few memories opted to go with the most well known incidents first. He wasn't even going to bother with anything minor.

"There was the time I out flew a dragon for the first task of the Triwizard tournament last year. The times I had to deal with the Dementors in third year. The time I fought a Basilisk inside the school in second year... and the Graveyard duel," Harry offered up reluctantly.

"Salazar's Basilisk?" Voldemort asked, his tone ominous. Harry nodded reluctantly. He knew the older wizard had met the Basilisk since the Diary was the reason for Harry to meet and kill it.

"My Lord?" Severus asked cautiously. Clearly the other two knew something about _that_ mess that he did not. Not that he was particularly surprised at this point that Dumbledore had been lying to him. After all if the old goat lied about Harry's home life (something which Harry's medical check had practically screamed in their faces) then what else had he lied about?

"The Basilisk memory first then," Voldemort instructed with a grimace. This was not going to be pleasant.

"Include any attempts to seek help," Severus ordered, his stomach filling with dread. Harry nodded reluctant agreement and worked with the person who was manning the projective pensive to place the memories into the artifact in the correct order.

The first memory to be projected on to the wall had Ron and Harry discovering the paper in Hermione's frozen hand with them rushing off to find a professor. Those assembled watched as Harry's memory face showed a quickly hidden flash of terror at the mention of the school closing, making most of them wonder why. Severus and Voldemort just kept their imp trapped between them, hugging him without using their arms. The discovery of Ginny's disappearance and the capture of Lockhart came next.

"He does not count as a competent adult," Severus muttered disdainfully.

"12," Harry reminded him just as quietly. They both knew his age had been a major factor. "Besides, we tried to get help in first year over the stone and McGonagall told us the staff wouldn't even check. You already hated me and we thought you were the danger anyway. You are the only one that really pays attention to my friends and I judging mostly by the detentions I get."

"That is not exactly accurate," Severus said, clearly hiding how disturbed he was by the assessment. The staff had, after all, been dealing with all the extras that come with teaching a huge celebrity. For instance Black and Voldemort were not the only ones trying to stalk, dose with potions (love potions and others), harm and/or kill Harry. They were simply the most successful at actually getting in range to _do_ anything. The extra potions Severus had needed to brew combined with Dumbledore's harassment instructions and prodding (saying that Harry was a miniature James) as well as the unresolved magical feud had all but boiled over during that first lesson. Knowing what he knew now made him very uncomfortable thinking back on that first year potions lesson. It also made him ridiculously glad that Harry had agreed to start over even if it immediately moved into a magical adoption.

Harry didn't say anything more as the memories lead to Myrtle and her bathroom. He knew this next sequence was going to be the start of how things changed and he wasn't looking forwards to it at all.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Basilisk time!
> 
> * * *

The first hint for everyone but Harry and Voldemort that this longer memory sequence was going to be bad was the slide down the pipe into darkness only to land on a pile of bones. The fact that it was two second years and a hostile idiot playing at greatness did not help matters. Then the feint by Lockhart and attempted obliviate only to result in scrambling out of the way of the cave-in had everyone watching outraged on behalf of the two second years. Madam Bones snapped an order to pause the memory as the entire assembly turned to look at Harry.

"Would this be the reason why Mr. Lockhart is currently in the Janus Thickly long term care ward?" Amelia Bones asked archly with a hint of amusement. It had been easy to see that the damaged wand had backfired and that it was no fault of either young Gryffindor.

"Yes?" Harry offered sheepishly. He wasn't quite sure _why_ he was embarrassed but he was.

"At least you thought to make the supposed adult go first," Severus snarked. He wasn't really upset at his brat's actions thus far beyond the idea of trying to face off against a _Basilisk_ in the first place much less without any preparations or back up. He would express his displeasure over _that_ idiocy later.

"Since you paused it I want to point out that this is when I learned Voldemort's birth name. I also thought I was just going to sneak in and grab Ginny before running, maybe speak to the snake so that it wouldn't try to bite us or something. I had no intention of actually fighting it unless I had to or thought that it might keep the school open," Harry pointed out quickly, hoping for a distraction. "This is also part of the lead up to him getting a body even if it took him another two years to actually get one."

"Is your reasoning about the school based on your submitted health report?" Madam Bones inquired carefully, the skin tight around her eyes. Harry's hesitation and eventual refusal to answer as he looked away from her told everyone that the answer was yes.

"Gringotts would like a copy of this health report if it covers both this incident and his reasoning," the goblin representative put in. The general murmur of agreement had Madam Bones resisting the urge to rub her temples.

"Be aware that until the Hogsmeade raid we had no real access to Mr. Potter as he was almost always universally protected and hidden by Dumbledore. Despite our own laws we simply couldn't get to him to check up on him or ensure that his situation was correctly handled. I also swear to you, here and now, on my magic and life, that had I known about his situation I would have taken him in myself rather than allowing it to continue. So mote it be," Madam Bones announced before lighting up her wand to prove her statement as truth. She then proceeded to hand out the copies of Harry's health history knowing it would cause an uproar.

What followed was an uproar that had Severus and Voldemort hastily casting silencing charms and privacy around Harry to prevent him from reacting poorly. They had shared the now nearly universal outrage but also knew that their imp tended to flinch away from perceived danger. As this outrage was on his behalf they saw no reason to trigger the very survival instincts that had been beaten into him by his relatives. The sight, if not the sound, still had Harry instinctively cringing against them and trying his hardest to become as small as possible without curling into a defensive ball. Intellectually he knew that they weren't necessarily angry at _him_ but he was glad both of his new family had understood his reaction enough to cast those spells.

Severus eventually reached the point of stepping in. After a careful positioning of Harry tucked into Voldemort's side Severus stepped out of the spells, scowling something fierce and let off a cannon blast. Everyone turned to look only to meet his glare.

"If you are finished? I would think terrifying the same child you are so suddenly protective over was counter productive. Especially as we are reviewing some of the very memories in question," Severus pointed out scathingly. "Now, as my recently adopted _son_ is being traumatized more by your outrage than the thought of watching himself fight a Basilisk might we move on? You may discuss anything to do with his mistreatment _after_ we are finished reviewing the other _relevant_ memories."

"Certain things need to be clarified first, such as his current treatment and whether he will be returned to these... _monsters_ ," the angry Veela representative spat, barely holding on to her human form. The smoke drifting slightly from her hands and the faint pattern of feathers ready to rise in an outraged ruff around her neck spoke further of her fury and her control of that emotion.

"I haven't left his side but for one morning since our capture during the Hogsmeade raid. At worst our treatment has been that of children being grounded to our room. Mostly we have been recovering from untreated medical issues and kept close to the Dark Lord to the point of platonically sharing his quarters. To prevent his return to those who have _abused_ him we did not resist when our joint magic flared and initiated an adoption. By magic I am now his father and the Dark Lord has claimed us to his household as wards of the family. Shortly afterwards the healer arrived from Gringotts and determined that even had the adoption not occurred my son's guardianship was transferred to the Dark Lord on medical grounds," Severus explained coldly. "Keeping them separated harms both of them in mind, body, and magic. As a result as long as my son frequently visits the Dark Lord his sanity remains intact. This may change as treatment progresses but their lives are bound. Should one of them die the other would be better off dead alongside him. Even if we wanted to, which we do _not_ , we can not afford to harm or mistreat him. Any other decisions must come _after_ he has finished recovering from what has been his life."

"Let us at least see this battle against the Basilisk then we can judge if further action to protect this young one needs to be taken. Reparations can always be discussed after he is secure, healed, and able to defend his own," the goblin representative offered up. He was already going to be recommending warrior training for the teen wizard. One had to have a fighting spirit to survive and fight with such injuries!

"Before we proceed, be aware that the... issue of the Diary has been resolved," Voldemort informed them sternly. He had canceled the charms protecting Harry so that they could listen to Severus rip into everyone. It was something that Harry had needed to see for himself. He had needed to know that his new family would do more than just lock him away. Severus going to the mat for his formerly most hated student and currently new son was the best way that Voldemort could think of to help prove to him they were serious. The way that Harry had relaxed against him had proven that guess right.

"A Gringotts healer has confirmed this?" the goblin representative asked shrewdly.

"She has," Severus agreed solemnly. "The Dark Lord has also agreed to further corrective treatment for the related magical side effects as well as the fine for delving incorrectly into such magics. Treatment for all three of us and our various injuries is ongoing. I am nearing the end of my treatment and will help monitor the other two for the duration of theirs."

Severus failed to point out that due to the Horcruxes and the family adoption the medical monitoring would last the rest of their life. The Goblin, once he recognized the specifics of the Diary, would know the truth behind that statement. Unless someone else was familiar with Horcruxes no one else aside from the three affected wizards would understand the full implications.

The memory was soon restarted after everyone was seated again.

Everyone watched Harry recover from the cave-in and shout back and forth with Ron over what to do next. There was general fascination with the vault-like door to the Chamber of Secrets and open interest in the serpent themed decor of the main Chamber entry hall. The random muttering over the tunnels from various people though had Harry wondering what was so interesting about them.

When they got to the point of Harry rushing to Ginny's side and dropping his wand there was a mutter of anger from the goblins and dwarves. As warriors they recognized how stupid dropping your only weapon in a dangerous situation was. Although the recognition of "Tom" drew a great deal of interest. The following conversation and revelation of his identity as Voldemort caused a ripple of shock even with the Dark Lord's previous declaration at the conclave.

"So... why did you use a name you came up with at _16_?" Harry snarked quietly as the memory moved on. He was ignored as his small family watched the memories in avid interest.

"He sent the bloody bird and the _sorting hat_?! Against a _Basilisk_?!" Severus hissed in low outrage. "Has that old goat always been insane?! Its a wonder you are still alive!!"

"Just wait, it actually wasn't that stupid," Harry admitted with a grimace. He missed the long glance from the two Slytherins during the Diary's mocking of those same items.

The fight with the basilisk held everyone enthralled in horrified silence as they watched a _12 year old_ Harry fight for not only his life but that of young Ginny Weasley and the rest of Hogwarts. The entire room cried out in shock or flinched when the sword and fang sank home. They watched as he staggered over to Ginny only to find himself repeatedly stabbing the Horcrux Diary, to all appearances taking his final foe with him as he died. Fawkes' return and subsequent use of his healing tears relieved many as the memory finally ended.

"He needs training with the goblin blade he won during that encounter," were the first words spoken by the goblin representative, breaking the shocked silence.

"Professor Dumbledore took it away from me. He said it belonged to the school," Harry inform the goblins warily.

"Wrong. Under normal circumstances a goblin forged object is to be returned to the goblin nation and its goblin crafter after the death of the one it was made for or loaned to. It is one of the many issues we have with the wizardlings as they do not honor that law of our craft. Your use of it in defense of yourself and the remaining youngsters in the castle won you the right to wield it for your life time. Anyone taking it from you is a thief," the goblin corrected. "That blade and the magic that is a part of it picked you as its new wielder. You will have to be trained in its use. We will also need to register the loan so that you are not called a thief for winning it in combat and being chosen by the blade. There are very few goblin blades that have a call of need or call of honor spell on them and the magic's choice is always checked but also respected."

This commentary further dissolved into a general discussion of the memory and the fact that Harry had stopped such a dangerous threat. There were plans made by most of the representatives to at least see Harry trained in case of another such incident.

"You _will_ be learning self preservation and appropriate aid choices if its the last thing I do," Severus hissed into his ear quietly as everyone else argued. "I refuse to find you _dead_ over some similar foolishness. You will also be writing lines until the fact that your death is unacceptable has sunk into that thick Gryffindor skull of yours!"

"~We will be running drills once you are healed enough to try and keep you alive should you find yourself in another dangerous situation. You will also be wearing protective enchantments and emergency portkeys as well as tracking magics from now on. Loosing you is _not_ an option,~" Voldemort hissed quietly. "~Your choice of the Magical Creatures class is now making far more sense.~"

Harry just ducked his head and kept close to them as discussion raged around the room. There would be no more hiding now. No more "Just Harry", no more normal wizard. His power, luck, and ability to adapt so that he survived impossible deadly situations had been officially noticed by people in power. He would never again have the option to fade into the background.

Harry could only hope that they wouldn't be as interested in the other memories as they had been for this set. Yet his heart told him it was in vain.

*+ovo+*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next memory? Or should we listen to them argue over the Basilisk incident first?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, memories are kinda random so we may come back to first year later or skip ahead to summer after 4th year, etc.  
> I tried involving Hedwig in this chapter and failed miserably so you will have to wait another chapter to even get the start of seeing her come back. I can't promise that she will be back any chapter soon but she is definitely on the way!
> 
> * * *

"Quiet!" the centaur representative thundered this time. "There is more in the stars as part of this than is obvious. Prioritize before arguing or Mars will shine brightly over blood soaked fields to the final sleep of all!"

"Well, lets start with confirming a few things," the goblin representative said into the uncomfortable and very sheepish silence after a few minutes. "Is the Basilisk fully dead? And were there any more in that chamber? Are there other dangers lurking under Hogwarts which could threaten us all? And how do we confirm if they are a threat if any are known to exist? The dead basilisk, should it have perished as the memory indicates, is obviously spoils for the young warrior that will have to be handled. However, unless its an immediate threat it can wait a bit more as it has already waited several years."

"I guess I should answer?" Harry offered carefully. "As far as I know that particular Basilisk is really dead and was the only one. I didn't really do any exploring since it was a rescue mission and I haven't gone back since."

"I can confirm that as of 50 years ago that was the only Basilisk and that there is a great deal more area than what Harry saw," Voldemort added. He hadn't actually known about this encounter beyond Harry's random comments about the Basilisk and the Diary and the thought that such a thing could happen infuriated him. It did, however, drive home exactly how insane even just making the Diary had driven him and how lucky Harry was to have survived. "The Chamber and everything in it is largely secure as one needs to be a parselmouth to access anything. The more secure areas take more than just a simple parsel password to access. I also have no idea how extensive the tunnel system is and only a team under contract from Gringotts will be allowed to know more or explore it as it is a part of my inheritance from Salazar Slytherin. I do concede that the corpse belongs to Harry under Victory Spoils but anything else still belongs to me as Lord Slytherin."

"To head off any questions about breeding another Basilisk as we are the only Parselmouths in the region there is no plan at this time to be attempting such a folly," Severus put in quickly with a scowl. "Considering who each of us is and the possible value or resource such a creature might provide in various fashions I wanted to head off any speculation or rumors before they started. As to the harvesting of the corpse, should it still be possible, arrangements will be made at a later time and any sales will be strictly regulated to avoid abuse and misuse of the remaining salvageable parts."

There were any number of dangerous potions that used Basilisk parts, some of which would rival the Black Plague in their spread and destruction. Harry wasn't a Potions Master so he wouldn't realize how closely they would have to watch what went where when it came to the Basilisk ingredients.

"Just to put it on the table, can we ask for your family's aid in dealing with any future Basilisks or other serpent related incidents Lord Slytherin?" Madam Bones asked with a slight grimace.

The DMLE Head really didn't like the thought of another Basilisk existing but they were actually bred once a decade in very controlled circumstances and killed before living a full year. Any Basilisk allowed to live past 6 months started developing the killing gaze but it didn't become actually lethal to humans until they hit 13 months. The ingredients from the specially raised Basilisk were harvested immediately and sold at outrageous premium prices. To top it off one had to be a Potions Master with a special license and permit to even qualify for buying the maximum 6 oz. of venom at nearly 300 galleons a drop.

The amount of venom that had been pumped into Harry when he was bitten should have started melting him like acid. Instead the horribly expensive venom was counteracted by the equally expensive and impossibly powerful Phoenix Tears. Two rare ingredients flowing continually through his very blood. The source of his immunity to future poisons and venoms marked down on his medical report was now clearly evident.

"We maintain right of refusal but also agree to at least consult on whatever case may require it, _provided_ the privilage isn't abused," Voldemort agreed cautiously. Good publicity and a possible working relationship with the Aurors was always a good thing.

"So noted and agreed," Madam Bones said with quickly hidden relief. A working relationship meant that if things went bad she could call for at least a meeting on the grounds of that relationship. It would be a perfect way to safely find out the truth behind whatever was going on at least as far as Voldemort was concerned.

After another hour of arguing over the events of his second year in a way that Harry simply couldn't track much less understand was ended very abruptly by an unexpected and previously unheard voice.

"Enough!" the vampire representative thundered. "We will get nowhere like this. We also don't have enough information to make any decisions or recommendations if these memories are in any way like the other memories that we will be reviewing. Prince Vlad Dracul will want personal copies of everything presented here. I already know that even with our envoy status this is going to be, how do the Americans put it? _Above our pay grade_. We can offer personal recommendations and resources but the final stance of our peoples, if only by virtue of the 1,000 year old Basilisk alone, will require higher authority. It will also require us all to hastily report everything once this investigation releases us for the day if we do not simply power through the information. The previous threat to the Children will require the ICW and a global conclave of all magical communities. Just as the modern mundane techniques and working with the mundane governments will require its own emergency conclave. Now, I recommend that Mr. Potter provide any other incidents of which he was aware of or a part of that threatened the school as a whole. We might as well determine if he has been acting as a guardian angel and for how long."

"Er, that would be first year... Halloween," Harry offered somewhat sheepishly.

The sharp look Harry got from his two Slytherins and Madam Bones was ignored. He very purposefully submitted his memories of the Troll incident, the end of the year obstacle course & confrontation over the Flamel's stone.

The troll memory opened up with the Halloween feast and Quirrell's dramatic entrance. There were murmurs of outrage and disgust at sending the students away from the perfectly defensible great hall. Half of the students would need to go near or through the dungeons where the troll was supposed to be after all. The scramble through the hallway to find Hermione was met with a certain amount of disapproval from the Slytherin Potions Master but no actual commentary. The discovery of the troll and rush to help Hermione though had Harry wondering in a sort of detached calm if he could have done something better. The memory ended as they left the area and its unconscious troll in favor of the common room.

"That," Voldemort said with deliberate calm. "Explains why the hat settled on Gryffindor after you rejected Slytherin house. Not surprising as you had been told that all Slytherins are evil instead of simply being fellow students."

Severus, on the other hand, was muttering curses over foolish Gryffindors.

The next set started with the same trio of first years opening the door to the forbidden corridor to find a sleeping Fluffy.

"You went past the bloody Cerberus?!" Severus hissed. Their first year memory cries as they conquered the Devil's snare that followed escaping the same Cerberus that the man was upset over echoed in the background. Nothing was said as Harry defeated the charmed keys and they passed the unconscious troll.

"Just watch," Harry hissed back as the live chess game began. Voldemort was tense next the pair of them as Ron won the chess match and Hermione solved the deadly potions riddle.

The confrontation with Quirrellmort, the mirror, and the stone had the Dark Lord quietly grumbling with grudging admiration. Severus, on the other hand, badly wanted to tan his son's bottom for his recklessness in that chamber and nearly getting killed, _again_!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will not try more discussions over the memories as I clearly suck at them. I will now go back to watching my bible study and Knitting the water themed pure cotton blanket that might turn into a blanket-coat object....


	25. Chapter 25

As the previous memories ended Madam Bones clearly looked caught between wanting to shake Harry or congratulate him. Harry, not wasting a moment to be captured by his Slytherin family members, scurried over and handed over more of his memories. This time they were of the Acromantula nest in second year, the Dementors on the train, at the Quidditch match, and when they tried to KISS Sirius in third year. As an after thought he added the Dementors in Surrey that had nearly killed him and Dudley over the summer.

Harry stumbled into one of the Aurors and jostled him. As they both fought to regain their balance an egg fell from the man's pocket, catching Harry's eye as it dropped towards the hard stone floor. His seeker reflexes kicked in with a vengeance and Harry _dived_ for the glittering silver and white egg, snatching it away from the hard stone floor. Falling into an instinctive roll he wrapped himself protectively around the baseball sized egg.

"Keep it," the Auror whispered as he helped the teen back up to his feet. Harry nodded and pocketed the egg with barely a glance, hoping to have time later to look at it properly. The glare he received from his father and Family Lord as he returned to his seat spoke volumes.

The opening sequence to the Acromantula nest showed Harry and Ron following the fleeing spiders into the forbidden forest. Severus growled at the sight of his students entering the dangerous woods. Harry just sighed. It wasn't like he was doing it just for fun or to explore.

The sight of the increasing number of giant spider webs had both elder Slytherins tensing as they watched the interrogation and subsequent flight from the forest.

"I should have killed the beast instead of letting Hagrid help it escape in favor of capturing him!" Voldemort spat as the memory wound down. "Such a nest of man-eaters near the school! Unacceptable!"

"The board refused to pay for their removal and Dumbledore refused to do anything either," Severus reported quietly. "He claimed that they were already in a forbidden area so there was no point in antagonizing them by attacking the nest."

The next memory started with the Hogwarts train slowing down and the confusion of the students in the compartment. As the memory was from Harry's point of view everyone heard the words of Lily Potter nee Evans and Voldemort from the fateful Halloween night.

"You... remember _that_ when the Dementors...?!" Severus said hoarsely, openly horrified. Harry said nothing even as they watched Lupin chase away the overly enthusiastic Dementors and ply the students with chocolate.

Harry stoically sat through the Dementor swarmed Quidditch game. He absently noted that he had been the obvious single target from the very start. It had also been Severus' patronus that fought off the majority of the Dementors that got too close to him. He had passed out just as a few got in position to try and deliver the KISS.

The following memory of the Shrieking shack and the events after it finished only once the time loop was complete. Before anyone could assume that they were done the memory of the incident in Surrey over the summer played into the silence of the room.

After watching these memories the entire room turned to look at the sheepish 5th year student in open shock.

"You have got to have Liquid Luck in your veins!" Severus spat harshly, making Harry flinch. He didn't get far before he was practically dragged into his father's lap and half crushed protectively against the man's chest.

"I take it that Dumbledore failed to inform the staff of these events or twisted them into something far closer to harmless?" Voldemort drawled, his voice menacing in its suppressed fury. He had nearly tried snatching up the troublesome imp himself but he trusted Severus with Harry. Having to watch Harry's _soul_ nearly being _eaten_ by the Dementors had been horrifying.

"That would be an understatement," Severus told him forcefully. "The troll was the closest to being accurate but all of the rest... Well let us just say that I am clearly one of the only people remotely keeping a close enough eye on him and he still managed... Impossibility! Its as if his natural magic is doing more to bend reality than what it is supposed to even for protective accidental outbursts!"

After winning free enough to spit his father's robe out of his mouth Harry confirmed that guess. "That sounds about right. Sometimes its like my magic is so alive that it wants to play and my wand forces it so small that it almost feels like it hurts at times. The time I accidentally apparated when I was 8 to get away from Dudley and his gang I thought the wind had caught me and lifted me up when I jumped. Then there were a couple of times I could have sworn that my magic brewed a nasty storm outside."

"Your wand is _restricting_ your magic?!" Voldemort demanded, eyes sharp and intensely interested in this new tidbit.

"Er, yes?" Harry said cautiously, deciding that he was safer hidden in his father's billowy robes than facing the Dark Lord just then, even if the fabric kept trying to creep into his mouth.

"Gringotts would like to offer training for the young warrior mage," the goblin representative offered quickly. The word _Mage_ practically froze the breath of those present.

"Its a wonder he didn't develop into an Obscurial!" one of the unnamed Aurors present breathed in horror.

"The owl..." Severus breathed in realization before letting his son up enough for their eyes to meet. "Harry, when did you recieve Hedwig?"

"Hedwig?" Harry blinked his bright emerald eyes in surprise before he answered honestly. "Hagrid gave her to me for my birthday when he took me to Diagon Alley for my school things. She was the first present I ever got. Hagrid told me I was a wizard just after midnight when I turned 11... why?"

"Well, this definitely explains the natural familiar bond and why he was so badly affected when that stupid boy killed her," Voldemort scowled harshly. "The owl was helping him with his magic. Instead of becoming an Obscurial he bonded so strongly with his owl that a natural familiar bond formed."

" _Hagrid_ taught you about our world? No teachers visited you for the basic introduction and going over the laws for interacting with muggles?!" Severus demanded, completely aghast at the situation.

"No, why would they?" Harry asked, openly confused.

"Perhaps I should see about getting a law passed that requires an Auror to accompany a teacher to all students that have been muggle raised," Voldemort growled. "At least with two magicals it should make it safer for all involved and reduce the risk of this happening again. Of course I, personally, wouldn't have put it past Dumbledore to arrange for all of this on purpose, including the _abuse_."

"Enough," Severus scolded the irate Dark Lord. "That is a matter for later. Our imp doesn't need to be dragged into it yet and we can get further details out of him when we are safely back at the manor."

"We will now take a break to absorb what we have just learned and allow for anyone to use the bathrooms or claim refreshments," Madam Bones announced. She directed their gazes towards the just appearing buffet table and small door that was clearly marked as a restroom.

Harry didn't waste any time bolting for the bathroom, much to everyone's quiet amusement. The humor of the young man needing the restroom broke the upset air that had covered the room as they relaxed enough to let the memories really settle into their minds.

"Now that my son is out of the room... I think we can all agree on being horrified by what he has been forced to face," Severus pointed out severely. There was a rumble of agreement that echoed in an outraged growl around the room.

"That's an understatement," Voldemort muttered resentfully.

The Dark Lord had noticed a disturbing trend even with the very careful time editing on the memories. Dumbledore and Harry's friends very clearly tended towards pushing Harry into the incidents. Each "adventure" also closely resembled what a "hero" might do with liberal prodding in the right direction by his two friends who had some very _convenient_ answers. It greatly bothered the Dark Lord and deeply angered him. Harry had, unknowingly, protected a piece of his very soul. _No one_ should be able to do such things to him.

It was most obvious in the memories regarding the Basilisk and the time loop incident. Largely, he suspected, because of how complete those sets happened to be even if a few of them had been shown slightly out of order.

"Can we at least hope that his memories will get better?" Madam Bones asked with cautious hope.

"I doubt it," Severus grimaced. "I am not exempt from having mistreated him and my previous misinformation on his situation and character is no excuse. Right now what truly bothers me is how he appears to have been _led_ into many of the incidents that he didn't stumble into naturally. If he was being shaped into a _hero_ than what else was done to him? It could have been as simple as misinformation but I rather doubt that even with his memories thus far and the health report that we have seen everything that he has suffered."

"You're right, you haven't and you wont," Harry said bluntly from the doorway to the restroom. "I am not dumb but I also didn't see much choice except to play to the expectations. At least it let me come to Hogwarts."

Harry didn't elaborate further as he re-took his seat and pulled out the odd silver egg the Auror had given him to examine it properly. Now that he had a proper look at it he could see and feel a sort of engraved pattern on the silver shell. Waves and swirls and bubble like designs covered the egg as he felt it warm beneath his finger tips. It wasn't an unpleasant warmth but there was enough of it that it was a shock to suddenly feel it go ice cold. He watched in fascination as icy tendrils of frost formed in the valleys of the carved surface, attaching to his fingers only to melt away and leave a misty fog that rapidly disappeared.

Harry watched in quiet awe as the silver melted away into a solid fog before dispersing into nothingness, leaving an adorable white baby bird chick nestled softly in his hands. Oblivious to the world around him Harry lifted his baby bird to his face and gave the small head a soft kiss. The power that instantly surrounded the pair sent his two family members sprawling and brought the room's attention to him. They watched in open shock as the powerful familiar bond formed between the two spontaneously.

"Hullo again Hedwig," Harry greeted the very awake chick as she chirruped in his his hands, beaming a brilliant and sunny smile as his first friend had been returned to him.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more Hedwig!
> 
> * * *

*+ovo+*

The room stared at the baby bird in a quiet shock of a different kind than what they had been previously experiencing with the memories. There was a quiet murmur from various members who were guessing as to the species of the baby bird and from others expressing relief that he had a new familiar. None of them had known of the Snowy Owl Hedwig or her recent death so no one but Harry's new family made the mental jump to guessing this was her reborn form.

"Harry... where did the egg come from and how do you know that that bird is Hedwig?" Voldemort asked very carefully. "For that matter what species is she? I can't quite tell."

The Auror who had given him the egg appeared as though a shadow behind Lord Slytherin for just long enough to catch Harry's eye. He then quickly morphed into the easily recognizable form of the Grim Reaper. Death grinned at Harry with a bony finger raised to his non-existent lips for silence before disappearing into nothingness.

A blink and the entity was gone. Barely a breath or two had passed before Harry once more focused on his family lord. Holding up Hedwig so that they could get a better look at her baby form Harry heard the breath of his Slytherins catch. So greatly resembling her previous owl form it would have been easy to mistake her for an owl chick except for the threads of metallic silver. Lacing her various feathers with veins of what appeared to be liquid silver were catching the light of the room and reflecting it back in a glitter effect. Her eyes glowed a golden that was slightly deeper than her original color but the intelligence and lively personality were unmistakable to anyone who had been introduced to her as an owl. It was the threads of silver, golden eyes and touch of purple at the tips of each father that gave away her magical origins as an Ice Phoenix in this her bird form.

Chirruping smugly Hedwig quickly bit her chick just enough to draw blood and then licked up the blood. In front of the two elder Slytherins but shielded from the rest of the room she shifted, for the first time, into the smaller version of her Nundu form. A small mostly blue-black kitten with a red-brown chest patch that, in her larger version of the form, would swap coloring. Only the white paws and golden eyes would remain the same. She would remain as a baby in all of her forms until she managed to reach adulthood in at least one of them.

"She couldn't do that before," Harry said with a blink of surprise. Hedwig shifted back before the rest of the room could see and chirruped happily as her human-chick held her close, petting her as he cradled her small form.

"Liquid luck for blood," Severus groused as he watched Harry handle the icy baby bird.

"The bond was formed in front of everyone. There isn't any point in trying to change it and taking her away would just hurt him," Voldemort pointed out just as grumpily. Inside he was pouting a bit that Harry hadn't received a snake even if the Phoenix was perfect for the imp's love of flight and how often he tended to need healing through no fault of his own. The Nundu form could take out entire armies or towns if necessary in its larger size and the smaller size could fit in a pocket or let Harry cuddle with his familiar. It really drove home to the Dark Lord how badly Harry needed his familiar if the rebirth was so specific to his needs and so quick despite the level of power the imp had added to the process.

"Which memory do you guys want next? Harry asked absently, absorbed in playing with Hedwig in his lap. Petting her soft feathers was really soothing and calming for him.

"The Graveyard duel and anything else that put the school at risk or you personally at risk," Voldemort instructed with a resigned sigh.

"So Graveyard, Norberta, and the Dead Unicorns in the forest.... I'm not sure if you want my view of the Tournament tasks but with the way I had to out fly the Dragon in the first task I think the entire tournament counts as putting the school at risk," Harry pondered out loud.

"I'm not sure my heart can take this," Severus muttered before raising his voice and properly addressing Harry. "Give us the tasks in order and then the Graveyard. I suspect that we will need the context. Norberta and the dead Unicorn or rather how you came to be anywhere near a dead Unicorn should probably go first, however, as I am almost completely unfamiliar with those events as a staff member."

"Norberta, Dead Unicorn in the Forest, the Tasks, Graveyard, and Barty Jr. Getting kissed..." Harry decided firmly and proceeded to give over the selected memories.

The room watched in indignant shock as the baby Norwegian Ridgeback was born in a wooden hut. They were even more upset when they realized the baby dragon was within biting distance of several eleven year olds and within shouting distance of hundreds more underage children. Harry had been somewhat uncomfortable choosing this memory, knowing that it would get Hagrid in trouble, but also knew it fit the criteria of a potential risk to the school. Glancing up at the projected memory he watched as Norberta hissed at his younger self in a threatening manner only to jump in shock and look down as Hedwig shift in his lap and hissed back.

"~Stupid fire hatchling! You do not promise to bite my Harry-hatchling!~" Hedwig hissed at the memory. The fact that her hissed words were understandable shocked the three parselmouths, including her Harry-chick. "~He doesn't want your bloody meat! He has _me_ to hunt for him if he can not find his own food!~"

The room turned to look at the new, slightly higher pitched, sound of hissing only to stare in amazement at the baby eastern serpent dragon in Harry's lap. Hedwig had a long serpentine body that was a rich bright purple with a pale lavender underbelly. She also had baby horns at each side of her head starting just where a human hairline would be, angled to flow along her body and easily match her streamlined form in quick movement. There were also the beginnings of the flowing tentacle-like whiskers common on most Asian dragons. The equally well known Asian mane or ruff was not yet in evidence, possibly due to her young physical age. Her silver claws flashed in the torchlight as her five fingered paw-hand clawed at the air in the direction of the memory dragon. Jumping slightly into the air they all watched as she flew, without wings, and slid or swam through the air to hover a few feet in front of her Harry-chick. Largely unnoticed the memory ended and Hedwig opted to land on the stone floor of the room. Switching to her kitten-Nundu form she sauntered back over to Harry with everyone watching only to revert to her Ice Phoenix form once she was firmly settled back into his lap. Her glare of challenge and warning told the room that she would not suffer to be separated from her human as she had been previously be it by being in the Owlery or by death its self.

"Definitely a mage at _minimum_ ," someone muttered. The beginning of the next memory distracted everyone.

The remaining memories passed by with minimal commentary aside from Hedwig occasionally scolding Harry until they got to the Graveyard duel. They were, after all, mostly public knowledge and the forest detention didn't appear as bad as some of the memories they had already watched. The Graveyard duel was a different matter entirely. Intense interest was paid to the rebirth ritual and the duel its self as it quickly went from a mockery to something entirely different.

"So that's how you managed it. I had wondered how you got away, the trophy portkey aside," Voldemort commented thoughtfully.

"Its not like I knew what I was doing," Harry shrugged, cuddling the currently kitten shaped Hedwig. "I was just doing everything I could think of to stay alive and run. I don't actually try to attack you. Mostly I just try to escape and stay alive when something tries to kill or eat me. No matter what everyone else thinks I _know_ I am _not_ a match for you. The way Barty Crouch Jr. went after me once I got back to Hogwarts was a bit uncomfortable though that probably had more to do with Fudge bringing in the Dementor to KISS him so fast instead of his rough handling. Uncle Vernon does worse and I kind of liked Barty... even if he was trying to kill me for you."

"I think we could do with another 15 minute break," Madam Bones said shakily. There was a murmur of agreement as they all numbly allowed more of the astonishing information presented today to settle into their minds. Voldemort and Severus stayed protectively close to Harry as he mostly sat there and cuddled his returned familiar. Their imp would _not_ be leaving their sight for the foreseeable future.

*+ovo+*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have maybe one last chapter for memories unless Musey opts to say we need to go somewhere else NOW. So ideas on the next step are good. I am afraid that I delved so deeply in the memories that I honestly forgot what the next step was supposed to be. So yeah, Ideas?


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so it turns out that I couldn't stomach writing the abuse the Dursleys put Harry through at this time. As such I apologize for taking so long on the chapter and plan to move on to dealing with the Goblins shortly. Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

"Just out of curiosity... is anyone else bothered by how easy it seems for these threats to not only get into the Castle Hogwarts but to get to this specific young mage?" the dwarf representative growled. "Not to mention the very consistent presence of your own laws either being ignored or not applied?"

"Believe me, I noticed," Madam Bones grimaced. "It makes me want to strangle various people with Dumbledore being foremost on that list. At this point I would, very unofficially, recommend simply getting him under someone else's laws and diplomatic immunity under all wizarding laws. This is happening far too often and far too conveniently for too many people in powerful positions and nearly always to Dumbledore's dubious benefit, to say nothing of his previous vice-like control of Mr. Potter until recently."

As that thought processed in their information battered minds the goblin representative was faster off the mark than anyone else and faster than anyone thought he could manage. Risking his very life and the reputation of his clan he put in his bid before anyone else could speak.

"Gringotts would lay claim to this young warrior and his two existing family members. The young mage has consistently passed various incidents that qualify him as a full warrior among my people As his life is dependent on that of your Dark Lord we will happily handle him and accept Potions Master Snape among our own Potion Masters," the goblin announced quickly. "Treatments for the Dark Lord's stupidity will, if I remember correctly, take at least a few years. Something that will be far easier, safer, and faster if we can simply lay claim to him and keep him in the hands of the healers until they are done with him."

What the goblin wasn't going to say was that part of qualifying to work with Gringotts on potions had required Severus to establish dual nationality with his people. It was something that wasn't actually told to the various people in similar positions on the pay roll or any wizard that hadn't actively applied for goblin citizenship. Unless asked flat out the goblins would let them think they had simply earned a few perks and respect. All of that meant that when Harry had been adopted the magic at Gringotts had updated his status to being one of the nation's children. It was something the representative wanted to avoid revealing as it would lead to the revelation of dual citizenship that Snape held. Even if he could play it off as having been a one off it was still part of his nation's official secrets. Finding an alternative way to claim the Potions Master and his young mage of a son. Claiming the Dark Lord on the other hand just made sense for monitoring and treatment as it got around many of the human's additional pesky regulations. It also meant that if he got out of hand again his punishment would be under _goblin_ law. Besides, the man's combat capability was undeniable and adding such a warrior to their ranks, after certain remedial honor training, would be well worth the effort!

"I have a few objections to that plan but as long as my concerns are accommodated I see no real issue with it," Voldemort offered quickly. "I have no wish to be little better than a rabid dog, attacking everything around me for no sensible reason. Thus far keeping young Harry close has served that purpose but I do not wish him to be trapped constantly at my side. It would be an injustice to him and would likely cause him harm in some fashion regardless of my intent on the matter."

Harry's look towards Voldemort and Snape of hopeful happy astonishment was heartbreaking to most of the courtroom. It was clear that, against his better judgement, Harry had latched on tightly to his small new family.

"Imp," Severus muttered before drawing his son into a tight but careful hug with kitten-Hedwig caught in the middle. The familiar clearly didn't mind overly much but she did quickly switch to Phoenix form and perch on Harry's shoulder after Harry was released.

For the rest of the discussion Hedwig smugly perched on his shoulder and preened his hair. She also was found to randomly glare at those who watched her Harry-chick just a bit too closely.

"We should finish up so that things can officially move forwards," Lord Nott put in after about an hour of discussion on exactly how stupid it was that Harry had been left so vulnerable. "Now, is there anything else or can we adjourn at least for the day?"

"One last set of memories," Madam Bones insisted quietly. "Three separate regular days at home both before and after you received your Hogwarts letter."

Harry immediately blanched and started shaking his head no as he tried and failed to scramble backwards away from her. His two Slytherin family members caught him and held him close, alternately glaring at the woman and fussing over their imp. Hedwig had taken up a position on the floor in her dragon form between the small family and the rest of the room. Only the three parselmouths could understand the creative insults and threats she was throwing around for scaring her "Harry-hatchling".

"Child, we need to see how bad it was," the Veela representative explained with careful softness.

"It will be handled," Voldemort said in a hard voice even as he shielded the other two wizards from the eyes of the rest of the room.

"I can't stop you but if you display the bodies could you place them somewhere that anyone underage wont see them?" Madam Bones requested levelly, mentally wincing at the admission. She had basically just handed those who had hurt a wizarding child over to the Dark Lord for death and torture. There would be no restful nights until she knew how it turned out, one way or another.

"I can do that," Voldemort allowed. "I will leave Umbridge in Ministry custody... for now. Her use of Blood quills against the students, including my Harry, had best be handled properly. If not then I will be forced to revert to tearing down the Ministry in the hopes that I can put something half way effective into place before war with the muggles breaks out. I am trying to save as many of us as possible but it becomes difficult when the majority do not wish to be saved from the coming slaughter."

"Understood," Madam Bones answered, her voice barely shaking. The room was dismissed after that and Voldemort whisked them away without comment to anyone else.

Lucius Malfoy, understanding his current role, first helped them to escape and then mingled with those who did not leave immediately. Quiet conversations and pointed comments in various important ears would do much to help his house guests and their faction of the Wizarding World. This day was going to be sending ripples of shock through their world for years to come.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Assault of the cuteness!
> 
> * * *

Hedwig barely waited twenty minutes after they had returned to Voldemort's suite before practically shoving the three wizards into bed. Most of that time was spent staring down Nagini until the pair came to an unspoken consensus and turned to look over their wizards.

"~So, you are the soul bonded of our youngest speaker,~" Nagini hissed at Hedwig as she helped heard the trio of wizards into the bedroom.

"~Nagini!~" Voldemort complained only to get smacked by her tail.

"~Hush, hatchling! You will each wash in the water room and then return to the bed-nest. I can feel the strain of your magics and how tightly you hide the upset in your minds with the magic flowing there! You will _rest_ and drink the sweet dark liquid chocolate at least twice before dealing with the minions or those outside the nest,~" Nagini ordered, brooking no argument. "~Out of all of you the Hatchling Speaker is the least upset and the least tightly bound with his mind magics. I refuse to have you risk breaking! Into the nest!~"

Nagini took advantage of the human shock at her words to physically shove the three into the bedroom and close the door. She settled in front of the door, hissing her displeasure and some how glowering at the three of them. Hedwig, seeing all of this, took the opportunity to shift from her currently shin high kitten form of the larger Nundu size into her baby dragon form. She then cautiously joined the magical serpent in guarding the door.

"~Even if you can't understand me I can make myself perfectly clear, Harry-hatchling. You _will_ rest,~" Hedwig hissed giving pointed looks between Harry and the bed.

"~We can understand you just fine,~" Severus offered up reluctantly in the same language. "~It is your other forms we can not understand. This one is close enough to ground serpents that we who can speak and understand the serpent tongue can also understand you.~"

"~Good to know,~" Hedwig huffed before turning to Nagini. "~I thank you for protecting my hatchling until I could get back to him.~"

"~He is a part of our nest,~" Nagini said dismissively. "~It will be good to have another sensible one to help keep them intact.~"

Hedwig nodded sharply, accepting the implied sharing of duties, and they both turned back to watching their charges. A helpless look between the wizards settled it as the weight of what had happened at the ministry viewing finally settled on them in a bone deep weariness. They barely got through their hot showers and change into sleepwear before collapsing on the bed. Hedwig found herself, as the more mobile familiar and the one actually in possession of something like hands, carefully arranging the blankets and tucking them in as the trio finally crashed out from the stress and excitement of everything they had witnessed.

"~They pushed too hard,~" Nagini hissed sadly. "~I would guess they also fought with their own magic to keep it safely contained instead of burning it off when their emotions became too much.

"~My hatchling is also starting to wake some of the old power in his blood. If his link with the land re-awakens we must be ready. He will be in great pain,~" Hedwig hissed in warning. "~If we are lucky then the land will not wake the power in his blood nor demand his service should it wake.~"

"~If it does.... then the best way to preserve the nest is to bind the other two speakers to him in some fashion. The binding my Tom has to him is soul deep but the other... I do not know if the adoption or binding oath is strong enough that they will survive such an awakening or if it will only be my Tom and your Harry that survive the out pouring of power,~" Nagini mused quietly. "~My Tom has not yet fully realized that he wishes to serve for to rule is to serve. He is learning, slowly but learning still. I suspect that Severus, our dark one, is starting to suspect the waking power even if he does not yet know what it is, only that it deeply concerns our Harry who he has taken as his own male offspring.~"

"~There are dormant bindings on him to my Harry-hatchling... we will wait before deciding that he is in need of more bindings that they may all survive. My Harry will survive better with these two but I did notice how he refused to speak of the old nest and the poor care he received there. Those in that nest will need to be dealt with or the old one will try to force my hatchling back there to be harmed again as he and his flock have done in the past,~" Hedwig admitted. "~If this nest can not keep him from the old one... I will have no choice but to take my hatchling elsewhere.~"

"~Understood. I will make our other speakers understand this,~" Nagini agreed unhappily.

"~There is another to be wary of... the black dog and his wolf. The dog does not see my hatchling as he is. It is... worrisome, especially as many of the humans from before spoke as if he has a claim on my hatchling. Yet my Harry is sometimes called _James_ by this one and his wolf... I have watched them cause him no bleeding harm yet they harm him,~" Hedwig warned carefully. "~The dog and wolf do not like Severus and have caused him harm in the past which is part of why he was always grumpy with my hatchling. Yet as I have been gone you have turned him from a thorny bush full of poison into a protecting briar nest for my hatchling. For this I must thank you.~"

"~It was not I that did this,~" Nagini huffed, clearly pouting. "~Your hatchling did this, though I know not how. It made things much easier when Severus realized he had been pursuing something that Harry-imp had no knowledge of and no wish to continue. He apologized and they settled it as past. I only told them, very firmly, that they were a part of this nest and would learn that one way or another with my Tom as head of the nest.~"

Hedwig, still in dragon form, snorted in amusement - complete with a light puff of smoke that was more steam than smoke from her barely there internal fire. She was very certain that her Harry, at the very least, had needed that warning. The pair settled in for a watchful night as they made sure their wizards got enough rest.

Voldemort woke up breathing hard with a cry of warning on his lips as he sat up in bed. All that remained of the dream was the sense of another wizard at his side as they raced to protect the figure he just knew was their imp. Instead of giving voice to the warning his ruby eyes met glittering obsidian before they both sought out the smaller human form on the bed. Harry slept protectively between them, unaware of the nightmares his memories had spawned in his new small family. This was the first night Severus had trusted him enough to let their imp sleep in the middle of the bed instead of positioning himself as a living shield between the other two.

"~Yes, my hatchling's un-embelished _adventures_ under the control of the old one do tend to have that effect,~" Hedwig hissed in wry amusement, guessing at what had woken them. She was still in baby dragon form as it made it possible to talk with the others in the room. Her richly purple form was settled by the fire on the warm stones next to Nagini as the two familiars regarded the pair of adult wizards.

"How often does the imp have nightmares?" Severus wondered softly aloud in English. He wasn't expecting an answer so it was a surprise when it came.

"~During the warm months, when I was largely locked up with my hatchling, he could only sleep for maybe 4 of your hours? Sometimes he would hurt enough to try to sleep longer but he wasn't often allowed the rest,~" Hedwig answered honestly, incidentally proving that she understood English. "~It was common for him to be returned to the nest-room injured or hurting and he would always share what meager food he had been granted with me. I could not figure out a way to hunt for him even though his food was often bad and very little, not enough. Sometimes... his blood would be on the portion he shared with me. It made me stronger but I also knew it was strength my hatchling could ill afford to lose. This sleeping in the same nest with both of you has warded off the night terrors. I can only approve of the comfort you give him.~"

The sharp intake of breath from both older wizards showed not only how much they immediately understood from this short description but also how much more it upset them. Severus struggled to keep control of his magic. Voldemort, on the other hand, simply released his in a protective blanket that engulfed the room and its occupants. Severus took a moment to recognize that the Dark Lord was giving his magic something to do in stead of wrestling it into tight control. The dark man relaxed, joining the other wizard in protectively flooding the room with his own magic but focusing more on Harry as a priority. Voldemort didn't bother to comment on the fact but he did make a note of the lack of instinctive trust with their imp.

"The muggles will die," Voldemort said flatly. Severus could only nod silently in agreement.

"No killing," Harry mumbled sleepily, not quite awake but also not fully asleep. The two Slytherins couldn't help it, their hands found their way to the imp as Harry hummed in sleepy contentment and slipped back into dreamland.

"~As long as they have no more claim or contact with my Hatchling, no more chance to hurt him... I am uncertain I care what happens to them,~" Hedwig offered slyly. "~Yet I am uncertain if either of you can risk making the kill with how my hatchling clings to you now. Why not ensure that one who my hatchling has no care for punish them? As long as there is no trace back to you there should be little issue. If he becomes stubborn about it... pin him in your bed-nest and tell him of why you had them hunted. He was taught he has no value, make him understand that his value is high to you.~"

"~They are already trying,~" Nagini snickered. Hedwig hummed thoughtfully before leaping up on to the bed and shifting to her kitten-Nundu form. The two adult wizards watched as she cuddled up to Harry and promptly went to sleep.

"~Plot the hunt after morning sun food,~" Nagini ordered before purposefully re-settling down into a doze on her warm stones next to the fire. The two Slytherins grudgingly complied to the unspoken order and tried to go back to sleep. Hedwig's purring echoed around the room and eventually lulled them very firmly back into the land of dreams.


	29. Chapter 29

Severus grumbled as he woke up from yet another nightmare of Harry falling to one of the many numerous things that had attempted to kill him during his time at Hogwarts.

"Why couldn't the imp have thought to summon a trained wizard instead of his bloody broom when dealing with the blasted Horntail?!" Severus muttered to himself as he got up only long enough to fetch a glass of water. He knew why. The Accio spell that Harry had used was _dangerous_ to try and use on living things except, perhaps, for plants... _maybe_. Then too Harry had been told he wasn't allowed to have any adult help without risking the loss of his _magic_.

Severus shuddered at the thought of his imp trying to face any of the tasks _without_ magic as some idiot would have been bound to do had Harry's magic been claimed by the Goblet of Fire. Still trying to recover from finally understanding the danger his son had faced every year he returned to the oversized bed where he happily cuddled up close to his imp of a son. He was only able to fall back asleep because Harry was alive and practically in his arms.

"~He doesn't hate my Harry-hatchling,~" Hedwig hissed. She was carefully staying still in her dragon form so that she could swap back to her small kitten-Nundu form once the midnight discussion was done without waking her Harry.

"~No, he doesn't. The old goat forced him into swearing to protect the imp on his very life even knowing the imp's birth sire used to torture him,~" Nagini explained from her place on the warm stones. "~Even when our Severus thought he hated our youngest speaker he was ready to die for our Harry-imp. Whatever they saw when they were away and found you has made them more protective of our Harry-imp.~"

"~They watched many of the memories of when my Harry-hatchling was hurt at Hogwarts, things that he shared with no one but me or those who were also there,~" Hedwig explained simply. "~Harry refused to tell them of the harm during the warm months that I will not let him go back to.~"

Nagini hissed in displeasure as the earlier conversation made a great deal of more sense. She had guessed at much of the answers she now possessed but it didn't make the confirmation any more pleasant. After a long moment of silence the pair returned to their own rest. Voldemort lay awake thinking on everything until his eyes forced themselves closed and he returned to sleep just as dawn began to break, touching the sky outside with pink.

*+ovo+*

An odd group of a Vampire, a Veela, a Goblin, and a Dwarf gathered together in a pub down Knockturn Alley. The richness of their attire brought them only an extra glance or two as they all ordered strong drinks with the casual command to keep them coming.

"The young mage saved us all," the Veela started without preamble after their server was gone.

"The Wild Hunt has already been enlisted to go after those who have wronged him," the Goblin told them with an evil chuckle. "The muggles, at the very least, will not escape harming him. Dumbledore is increasingly implicated as the insane thief and puppeteer with the young Dark Lord as one of his other victims. I can say no more on the matter."

"Tell me, goblin, when did he become one of yours? A part of your people?" the Vampire asked shrewdly.

"As soon as he was adopted by Master Snape he was entered into the rolls of my people's children. His ancestors held the title of goblin friend but his first sire nearly lost it for all of his kin," the goblin answered with another evil chuckle. The Nation wanted no mistakes among the creatures and magical beings. The small _powerful_ family was theirs! "I will, however, admit that most don't check the registry and that I only became aware of his changed status after the public announcement of Master Snape on the matter at the viewing. Regardless the order had already gone out. We have had permission to go to war over him since the hunt was called."

"This, I feel, is one of those times where we need to teach a young warrior together and claim him as both Goblin and Dwarf," the Dwarf offered up with a grunt of interest. "I have not yet spoken to my people but I feel that he will insist on it. As a warning, I do not think that the various rulers who will suddenly take an interest in him will be happy that he is restricted to a mortal span of years."

"Turning him wont work, not with that venom and those tears in his blood," the Vampire pointed out pre-emptively. "By now those ingredients are bonded to his blood and will likely carry on down to any children. Its something that will have to be watched for and may kill any spouse he takes."

"As if any of our leaders would accept a _half-life_ for him!" the Veela spat indignantly.

"I only mention it to take it off the table," the Vampire said pointedly as he took a sip of his expensive whiskey laced AB+ blood.

"Technically, the Dark Lord could be considered temporarily immune to staying dead but the method is.... damaging. Its one of the reasons why he needs our healers," the Goblin added carefully, staring purposefully into his drink and talking to the liquid rather than his table mates. "As to the potential for the venom and tears carrying to his offspring even if it requires the sacrifice of the mother... there is more than one family which would make the offer. Thankfully, unless he actually arranges for it, only his children will be considered as part of our Nation, not his spouse or in-laws. The wizards wont be able to keep the children."

"Considering how they treated him? I think that is a very good thing!" the Veela huffed, scowling into her drink.

"Why hasn't the Phoenix he boasts of for his familiar rescued Dumbledore yet?" the Dwarf asked abruptly.

The table shared a groan as they realized they were going to have to deal with the insane powerful wizard running around and making a mess. They had just gotten the Dark Lord under nominal control and now they were going to have practically the same problem with the self-proclaimed Light Lord!

"From those memories he is obsessed with forcing the little mage into fighting and dying on his command against the Dark Lord," the Vampire growled. "Possibly, assuming young Harry survives against all odds, the goat will force him into being his personal warrior and assassin against anything he deems unacceptable. A fate we can not allow to befall the young mage."

"If he knows how the two are linked then his focus is not unexpected," the Goblin snorted derisively. "The obsession bit will have to be checked for the Dark Lord but his unhealthy interest in our young warrior is noted and _very_ concerning to us."

"Legally, Dumbledore can't claim any of the three or their probable future family members," the Vampire mused thoughtfully as his mind snagged on something in the back of his skull. "That leaves trickery, illegal means, and force... I think we may need to establish a multi-faction magical claim on them. We should then possibly start their training in _something_ from each of those who magically claim them as a part of their people. The claims will have to be ratified by our leaders if only to avoid it causing problems later and officially agreeing that these three and their families will be shared as equal members of the involved people. Anyone sent to them for training will either need guards themselves or have the ability to act as guards."

"It wont be enough if the bastard uses the Phoenix," the Veela pointed out. "I also now wonder if the Phoenix is with him _willingly_ or forced to his service."

"No, it wont," the Vampire agreed. "But it might make him pause. We can investigate the Phoenix later and young Harry's own familiar might aid us in checking that."

"Are there any outstanding arranged marriages for any of the three?" the Dwarf asked with a thoughtful frown.

"I would have to check but I will bring the question to my superiors and the warning on Dumbledore," the Goblin told them. A swallow of his acid green drink had the small spatter on the table steaming and eating a bit at the wood. The group generally finished off their first round and signaled for another round. They waited for their new drinks before starting back up again.

"The land and stone stirred briefly when the young warrior entered the chamber for us to view his memories," the Dwarf commented absently, causing his table mates to choke briefly on their own drinks.

"Anansi, the spider of Africa was up near the ceiling the entire time. He watched young Harry closely. It was my understanding that he had arrived to look in on the mage as spiders are normally fond of him for some reason and Anansi wanted to see that he was alright. Apparently, his last brief check was only to see why the spiders near him liked our young mage so much," the Veela offered quietly. There was a certain amount of animosity between the Veela, who were of birds and fire, and those of Anansi's domain. This wasn't really a surprise as many spiders tend to be eaten by birds.

"I am so glad he refused to claim the Acromantula when that fool of a witch bred them," the Goblin sneered as red warning flags went off in his brain.

Anansi was fairly powerful and remembered widely on both sides of the Statute of secrecy. There were rumors that, like the Greek Gods and Greek Titans, he boasted the blood of fallen angels in his heritage. Anansi was, to those who believed in the fallen angelic bloodline, thought to be fully half fallen angel.

"If Anansi is _interested_ then we can not afford to loose track of the situation and failure to act may doom us all. Yet he is still better than that blasted _Coyote_!" the Dwarf snarled. Mentally cursing the trickster spider and story teller even as he shivered at the thought of the trickster foxes of Japan and trickster coyote joining forces with the already present _spider_.

"I will send a message reminding them of the Phoenix but I doubt they will be willing to relocate so that we may offer aid," the Goblin pointed out with a shrug. "Anything more will require authorization... as I suspect is the case with all of you as well. There was a round of grumbled agreement as they finished their second drinks and signaled for their third.

"See if you can arrange another meeting with the three will you? I don't think the golden goblet and bottle or two of 2019 Copperplate Whiskey riding on this mess is going to be enough. I'll bet you a bottle of Fireshroom Vodka that by the end of the week our leaders are going to be scrambling to figure out what in all the fiery depths is going on while keeping that lad safe," the Dwarf offered, just as their third round arrived.

"No bet," the Veela snorted. "That boy is a trouble magnet and his magic has clearly learned to warp luck ultimately in his favor. The more powerful he becomes the more likely Magic its self will demand he handle something... and we will need to follow his lead. No, its best if we prepare him for it and hope that he is simply an Avatar that only needs to live peacefully."

"That is assuming he reaches that particular level of magical power," the Vampire corrected. "No, even if he isn't an Avatar or tasked with something important if his magic rises much above Mage... well lets hope the only problem happens to be the mundane humans. It would be bad if we needed to fight them but at least we know they are there and their rough capabilities are simple enough to read up on by purchasing a book or two from their stores. If, on the other hand the threat is something still unknown..."

"Agreed," the Dwarf grumbled. "Let us make certain that those he claims to his family have every skill they wish to be taught and then some in those we offer them as links to our peoples. After they pass any citizenship requirements we should quietly pass around their placement. No need to tell the idiot _wizards_ that they have access to a few extra resources and safe havens."

There was a murmured agreement. Talk shifted to something lighter as they finished up their night in the pub. Rumors sprouted after they left that the Dark Lord had impressed the Vampires, Veela, Goblins, and Dwarves while finding a _mage_. By dawn the entire underbelly knew that the Dark Lord was on the rise but using something different this time and was probably hunting the Mage for either capture or to convince him to join the Dark Faction. Rumors that would spread to the ears of the Order of the Phoenix and the ears of a certain insane old man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the starter ideas for the next two chapters but its going to finally be dealing with things away from our boys just as most of this chapter did. I have been asked to rehabilitate Sirius and Remus so I am giving you all fair warning now that it isn't likely to happen. Sirius is too broken and Remus hates himself too much if I am being generous. I just can't work with that without it hurting me and I don't have someone to cuddle to make it better. I might be persuaded to rescue some of the Weasleys but not Ron or Ginny and Hermione is out too unless the muse latches onto a fantastic idea that she just wont drop.
> 
> I didn't start this fic as some grand ambition but it looks like it wants to turn into a monster length fic. Hopefully it wont insist on becoming and epic of more that 300k words but when the muse latches on all bets are off even when my health interferes with the actual writing. Enjoy the ride!


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short note on the virus at the end. Sorry about the small chapter. The next one should be longer. Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in his padded cell, magic suppressing cuffs on his wrists and contemplated what had gone wrong. He hadn't bothered to call for Fawkes yet because if _he_ was arrested in the first place then he obviously badly needed the time to think. It also gave him a chance to lull the Auror guards and the observing healers into a false sense of security. Everything relied on guiding young Harry properly into defeating the Dark Lord and then ensuring that young Harry wasn't a threat. It was sad that such a talented young wizard would have to be sacrificed but it was for the Greater Good after all...

Sirius, glamoured into a purple-eyed redhead watched his mentor and former Headmaster through the see-through wall. This so-called general had kept him away from Ja...Harry. He could leave the old man to the mercies of the healers but by getting on his good side he could have more time with James... er, _Harry_. Besides, the observing healers and Aurors on guard duty already found it suspicious that the "Great Albus Dumbledore" wasn't actively trying to get away yet.

"Shift change in 3," Remus murmured into his ear. The werewolf had been glamoured into an Asian wizard supposedly visiting from the ICW on "unofficial" business and needing confirmation of Dumbledore's new status.

"Stunners, glamours on the guard and swap," Sirius repeated the plan with a level of unholy glee that bordered on madness.

"3, 2, 1... _Stupefy!_ " Remus counted down and then they _moved_. The pair took down the Aurors first and then the startled healers before working on quickly opening the padded room.

Albus Dumbledore looked up in shock that quickly morphed into pleasure. "Nice to see you boys," he greeted the pair.

Remus muttered an absent greeting as he levitated the Auror transfigured to look like Dumbledore into the room. He placed the unfortunate Auror on the bed in a wash of binding spells that would keep him silent and pinned when he woke up. Sirius was already casting glamours over the real Dumbledore, leaving the cuffs in place for the moment with a cloak tossed over them, and hurrying him towards the stairs. A slower pace once they hit the next floor landing kept anyone from looking at them oddly as the disguised trio headed for the exit.

"You will be getting me my godson back or I swear you will be discovering _exactly_ what my mother insisted I learn as Heir Black before Hogwarts as well as anything _interesting_ from the library first hand. The next time you try to take him from me... well you will find out why Bella favors those particular spells and what my own Dark Arts favorites are for _information extraction_ ," Sirius breathed into Dumbledore's ear a perfect kindly smile gracing his altered features.

"You think I wanted to lose the boy? He still has work to do before I can release him to you for instruction in his duties," Albus hissed back just as brightly and kindly.

"Can it you comedians. Wait until we get back home to mother," Remus told them both loudly. The pair understood the message and shut up. The alarm was just being raised as they apparated away towards Grimauld Place and the waiting Order of the Phoenix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I start the note I am flatly telling you this is not meant to cause you fear. I don't want terrified people running around screaming their heads off - it just makes it harder (and more dangerous) for all of us. This is a note to inform only.
> 
> On the matter of the Coronavirus.... people its out and it wont stop - Deal with it. Those so called warehouses of supplies to fight it? Empty. Sorry to burst your bubble but there it is.
> 
> This looks to me like a good time to decide you believe that the Jesus of the Bible is the Son of God and willingly died to give us a pardon for all sin (past, present, & future). The only pre-requistes happen to be belief on the matter and being human. Belief is the key. If you don't believe then you will never be able to accept that pardon just as if you take the Mark of the Beast you declare your allegiance to the Father of Lies - Satan. I honestly believe that taking that mark also forfeits your humanity so choose wisely if you are still on earth to face the Mark. As for "Denying Jesus" even if you have accepted him? You make a liar out of that acceptance by verbally refusing him - proving that you didn't believe in the first place.
> 
> I hope that you accept the invite to heaven and the pardon that comes with it.
> 
> It really doesn't matter what you've done or not done and I am here to tell you today that God loves you with more than the power of 1,000 suns. He loves you so much that all of this? Its just an excuse so that he can invite you home to all good things. He loves you so much that it confuses the _ANGELS_ on why he has not punished us for the sin of this world, why he hasn't just wiped us out and started over.
> 
> No matter what you _think_ you know - Know _this_ , always.  
> God LOVES _YOU!_
> 
> I love you all as well and ask god to give you blessings this day, good health and a peaceful heart to you this day in the name of the Christ, Jesus. Let those who are ill be healed, let those who are blind see, let those who are deaf hear, and those who are lame walk. Lord guide us home to your loving arms. In your name I pray Amen.
> 
> ~Genuka~
> 
> Fyi - for those who think I am being stupid or pushy for adding this prayer... How much do you think I hate you if you believe me capable of denying you the option of what I know is the path to heaven? I pity you for having such hatred in your own heart and wish you well with sadness even as you curse me.
> 
> I don't hate any of you and that is why I offered the prayer. Believe of that what you will. The choice, after all, is not mine but _yours_. Believe or don't. I have no control over you. I only wish you peace and prosperity.
> 
> May God look on you with favor, whatever your choices and path in life.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/n:** This was supposed to be 2 chapters but musey wanted to jump the story forward a bit so anything in this chapter may be expanded on later as a flashback. On the plus side, if I can get my head to stop pounding, you might get an actual 2 chapters today! Enjoy!
> 
> Oh! Almost forgot! Irritatedbookworm provided help on what to do with Zabini. I'm just sorry that musey refused to let me expand it into a proper full chapter.
> 
> * * *

Madam Bones practically stalked into the cell holding one Delores Umbridge, a vial of ministry veritaserum in her pocket and flanked by two senior aurors. She spat out a full body bind spell before the pink clad prisoner could start to berate her. A quick dosing of the woman with truth serum and they were ready.

"Testing, testing, the current Date is December 12th 1995. This is Senior Auror John Dwalish of the DMLE testing the dicta-quill for the Interrogation of Prisoner 49501, Delores Jane Umbridge, currently charged with aggravated assault on a minor and the accused use of a Class 5 Restricted Use Dark Artifact on said minor at a prior date. Due to certain interests in the case which potentially threaten the Wizarding World as a whole Ministry Certified Veritaserum is being used on the subject without prior consent by the subject. In attendance at this interrogation are myself, Madam Bones - Head of the DMLE, Senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, Rookie Auror Nymphadora Tonks, and Senior Auror John Avery. Current division of those present two Aurors each support the Light or Dark Faction with Madam Bones being neutral. Said personal support may be used to note that this is intended as an impartial interrogation," Auror Dwalish announced, meeting his boss' eyes evenly as the recitation was listed down word perfect by the official recording quill. The quill would record every sound until it was shut off.

"Personal affiliations will be discussed at a later date," Madam Bones said sourly but nodded her acceptance of the situation. It wasn't like she hadn't known there were people for both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord in her department.

"Madam... what are we doing here?" Shacklebolt asked carefully.

"Hopefully preventing the Dark Lord from resuming his attempts to destroy the Ministry and _accidentally_ reveal us to the muggles at large," Madam Bones told him frostily before turning to the dosed prisoner and starting.

Noting the glassy look in the eyes of the prisoner Madam Bones proceeded to ask the first question of the basic check. "What is your full, legal name?"

Umbridge gave her dull voiced reply with an obvious attempt to fight the potion. "Delores Jane Umbridge."

Auror Shcaklebolt briefly took over to finish up the confirmation questions before they properly started in on the interrogation.

"Did you use a blood quill on any students while serving in any capacity at Hogwarts?" Auror Dwalish asked in a quiet yet strong voice. He had noticed things were going too slow and they risked the first dose of Veritaserum wearing off.

"Yes," Umbridge admitted, clearly still fighting the effects of the potion.

"List to who and how many times this did occur first together and then individually," Auror Avery ordered harshly. When Umbridge didn't respond Dwalish reworded his colleague's order.

Who did you use the blood quill on and how many times each did they use it? Also do you know how many time total a student was required to use it under your care and if so how many times with all instances combined was it in use?" Dwalish asked the properly worded questions.

Umbridge fought the potion even harder and finally spat out, "Its recorded in the school detention log. I never bothered to count them all." before managing to shut up. It was clearly the truth but it gave little to no actual information.

"Did you or did you not force Harry Potter to use the blood quill and if so how often?" Madam Bones questioned, bile rising in her throat. This woman disgusted her already.

"As often as I could. He's a traitor to the wizarding world and should be tortured for information before being fed to the Dementors!" Umbridge spat hatefully. Her answer caused most of them to blanche.

"Oh hell," Dwalish whispered the only sound aside from the prisoner's heavy breathing and the scratching of the recording quill.

"Did you set the Dementors on Harry Potter during this past summer?" Avery demanded. He had been wondering about that farce of a case and her obvious hatred combined with her ministry position made it all suddenly click into place.

"Yes!" Umbridge hissed through clenched teeth.

"Madam Bones I am now obliged to tell you that if this is handled in any way that doesn't eventually result in Umbridge's death the Dark Lord will not react well. In fact he will ensure that it happens with the high possibility of collateral damage," Avery informed her stiffly. "He has claimed Mr. Potter on multiple levels and will happily kill anyone who brings harm to him or Potions Master Snape. A message was sent out to all marked and many unmarked supporters to inform them of this change in status in large part due to the previous open feud that transcended any war plans. The feud has since been dissolved and changed into an alliance. I am officially informing you of the matter as it obviously will play a part in this case."

"Noted," Madam Bones growled out unhappily. She resisted the urge to rub her forehead in an attempt to stave off the building headache. It wasn't like she hadn't suspected something like that with the various changes that had occurred since the Hogsmeade raid. It made handling anything that threatened Harry Potter an even more dangerous position than it had been before. The official arrest and recently hidden escape of Dumbledore did _not_ help things!

The questioning proceeded in a similar manner with them needing to dose Umbridge an additional three times before they had managed to drag a decent amount of evidence and information from her. The break for lunch was a welcome distraction as Umbridge was escorted back to her cell. Further questioning would occur as time permitted that week but they had already gathered enough for a possible treason charge. They also established foregone guilty verdicts for multiple counts of attempted murder, multiple counts of torture, and multiple counts of child abuse.

Unfortunately for Madam Bones a very angry Zabini Head was waiting for her in her office after dealing with Delores... oh joy.

What followed was a three hour explanation of exactly how badly Heir Blaise Zabini had fucked up when he had killed Hedwig. When Lord Zabini left her office he was already mentally crafting an official apology letter which contained an offer of compensation. He was also including an inquiry as to whether or not the Family Lord, the _Dark Lord_ , was currently entertaining marriage contracts for possible acceptance. After all the last time this had happened the Mage in question had decimated most of the magical mafia families in Italy, wiping out two completely. Lord Zabini simply hadn't had certain pieces of information yet that morning to make the connection and respond appropriately. Now that he knew... well his _Heir_ was at risk from being disinherited and thrown out on the streets without a knut to his name.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I did promise to try for two chapters... Here you go! Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Harry failed to bite back a scream as his bones broke under the expertly controlled spell. He was tired and in pain with at least _six_ newly broken bones at this point and just wanted this to be over with.

"That's it, so very brave my son," Severus whispered into his ear as he knelt next to Harry and fed him a pain reliever potion.

"~I don't like this,~" Nagini hissed in agitation. Hedwig snapped her silver phoenix beak in agitation and agreement but did not attempt to interfere.

"~It must be done so that he is not always in pain and the mis-healed breaks do not later become a threat to his life,~" Voldemort explained again, just as unhappy as the two familiars. "~The mis-healed ribs alone risked slicing his lungs any time he breathed. Once this is done we can think about a ritual to reinforce his bones later.~"

"~You will do no such thing! He won't reach full maturity until his mid-twenties, as you bloody well know!~" Severus snapped at him, his hands still gentle with his panting son.

"~No rituals... yet,~" Harry hissed out, his words riding on a hiss of pain as he carefully shifted on the medical cot he was currently laying on.

"Three more bones - one in multiple places - then we can set everything and dose him with skele-grow," the healer informed them confidently.

"Its not as bad as when Uncle Vernon breaks my arm or Dudley and his gang hold me down and slam me repeatedly against the metal holding up the swings at the park. It might be close to when Aunt Petunia really swings the heavy cast iron skillet at my head when its still hot though..." Harry mumbled, trying to fight the pain. He didn't notice how the rest of the room froze at his commentary.

"Are you telling me that his own _blood_ caused this issue?" the healer demanded in a low furious hiss.

"This is news to us as well and they _will_ be handled," Voldemort snarled right back as treatment, ie. the re-breaking of bones, continued. Harry kept silent for an additional three hits of the spell only to nearly pass out on the last one. The next set of spells cast very carefully moved all of the bones back into the correct positions except for two sets of ribs which were deemed too dangerous to try re-breaking and instead vanished completely.

"You have been claimed under Goblin law and are now a part of the Nation," a nearby goblin guard corrected. "This is a matter of the _Wild Hunt_. Had you not already handled your own torturers and abusers they too would be sought by the _Hunt_."

"We didn't... not all of them," Severus admitted quietly as he tended to his son and helped feed him a strong dose of Skele-grow. Harry passed out properly after taking the potion much to almost everyone's relief. No one there was happy with causing him such pain

"Who?" the goblin guard demanded, his voice ice cold.

"Dumbledore," Voldemort ground out in realization. "Its the only way my previous attempts at entering the school without giving too much away would unfailingly send me towards a vulnerable Harry. Then too as soon as he brought me my Hogwarts letter he declared me evil and did his best to convince everyone of it, including forcing my return every summer to an abusive orphanage in the middle of a war zone. The _Blitz_ was no place for a child!"

Severus hesitated before saying two names his sleeping son might hate him for. "Remus Lupin and Sirius Black... attempted murder of a fellow student in 5th year and... unstable actions towards my son since coming into contact with him. This includes Lupin transforming into his Werewolf form in the presence of my son and two of his fellow students. Additionally Black has made repeated allusions pressuring my son towards dangerous actions. Both have declared, on different occasions, that if he didn't do what was expected than Harry was wasting his parents' sacrifice and that he should not have survived them if he was going to dishonor them. As if acting to stay alive is a dishonor to such a sacrifice!"

The low growl from the various goblins and bank employees comforted both older wizards.

"~Tell them,~" Nagini hissed. "~Tell them of the warning brought by Harry-imp's reborn familiar. Tell them of the fact that Harry-imp will be taken from us if we can not protect him from these threats.~"

The heads of both Slytherins snapped around at Nagini's order as they stared at her in open dismay. Hedwig shifted form and gave them both a defiant glare.

"~If you can not protect my hatchling I will not leave him in your care,~" Hedwig hissed dangerously, little sparks forming in her baby dragon mouth as she glared at them. "~He will _never_ return to the old nest with bad caretakers and both Black Dog-man as well as the Wolf in human skin _will_ be dealt with. Burn the old nest for all I care as long as they are destroyed and no longer a risk to my hatchling!~"

"~That we have no issue with although it may grieve Harry-imp,~" Severus warned in his own softer hiss compared to that of the Dark Lord's speaking of the serpent tongue.

"~Once my forms have grown enough it will be little trouble to teach him his value for all that it may take some seasons to succeed in making him understand,~" Hedwig said stoutly. "~I do not yet have the strength to seek out the threat and destroy it. Then too I would also need a safe place to leave my hatchling and you have not yet proven to _my_ satisfaction that you can be trusted to guard him while I hunt the threat.~"

"~Understood,~" Voldemort acknowledged carefully. This was not something they had considered. The level of hate Hedwig had to have for these people and potential threat level they represented went up significantly. If a person's familiar would not tolerate someone near their human then they were considered an active threat that needed to be eliminated.

"Hedwig has declared that unless Black, Lupin, and his relatives are dealt with she will take away Harry and deem us unfit to care for him," Severus translated hoarsely for those who could not speak the serpent tongue.

The room shifted in concern at this news. Familiars laying down dictates over their bonded's safety were _never_ to be taken lightly.

"The Wild Hunt will place them on the list," the healer assured them softly. "It might just be a bit more difficult and time consuming for them since seeking them out in the first place is going to be difficult as proven by the Aurors' failures."

Severus didn't even try to mention Grimauld Place but he would point them at the Fideldus charm. Then too adding a random comment about London and the current Seat of House Black before they left was going to be a major hint. What he didn't know was that the goblins had no intention of letting them leave goblin lands, such as Gringotts, any time soon. The three wizards were claimed to their people and they needed to know what that meant as well as receive basic training to say nothing of the additional healing that Harry and Voldemort still needed.

"I want both of you in the beds to either side of him," the healer ordered firmly. The two Slytherins moved to protest until they saw the two Familiars being placed on Harry's bed.

"Why?" Severus asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He stayed sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, protecting his son.

"He needs you both close and neither of you are getting enough rest lately. I scanned both of you when I scanned the young warrior," the healer told them bluntly. "Now into bed, both of you."

The two Slytherins grumbled but obeyed. A moment later they looked at the healer in betrayal as sleeping potions were spelled into their stomachs. They were out like a light in under twenty minutes.

"I assume you plan to have them moved to their new quarters in the goblin section?" the healer inquired carefully.

"Yes, once its safe to do so. They will wake among their new people," the guard agreed with a toothy grin.

"Don't separate them and don't remove their familiars. Doing so could kill them," the healer ordered sharply. "They can't be safely moved until the young warrior mage is checked again after the potion has finished fixing his bones. My advice is to have them sent to sleep again afterwards if you insist on their move while unconscious or simply lead them to their new rooms and explain it plainly. Treat them as a unit or risk them acting as though they have been captured by enemies and acting accordingly."

"Noted," the guard acknowledged reluctantly. The healer nodded in satisfaction before turning back to her duties.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am offering prayer again for people. Skip past this to the actual chapter if you don't want to bother with it and may God be with you.
> 
> For everyone who stuck around for the prayer here it is:
> 
> Lord, we see the pain and suffering around us and it grieves our hearts. You are a just god, a god of victories, and a god of mercy and grace. Lord, we ask you this day to grant healing and understanding and patience and love in whatever form they may take to those affected by these things. From the fires in Australia to the Coronavirus aka Covid-19 currently ravaging China and spreading past its boarders to our brothers and sisters who live under threat of death and torture in the Middle East we seek your grace and blessings.  
> Thank you for loving us so fiercely and passionately.  
> Thank you for choosing US to offer a way out and to be accepted as your children.  
> Thank you for choosing to allow your jealousy to protect us from being taken from you that no man or beast or spirit or angel or demon may snatch us away, not even we ourselves.  
> Yet in all things may your will and not ours be done.  
> In your name oh Lord Jesus, the Christ, Son of God.  
> Amen.
> 
> * * *

Harry slowly rose to consciousness. He could feel two human and two serpentine bodies wrapped protectively around him yet the last thing he remembered was taking the disgusting Skele-grow. Instinctively, he flared out his magic, searching for the threat that had his family wrapped around him as living shields only for his magic to slam into power infused stone. They were trapped in a bubble of power and surrounded by stone. Using his magic in a way that had never occurred to him before Harry checked on his family and breathed easier as the scan came back as asleep but unharmed. 

"At least I'm not alone and its bigger than my cupboard," Harry muttered with a sigh of resignation. Since he couldn't get up, being trapped by the still sleeping bodies of his family, he slipped deep into his mind just like he used to do in his cupboard. Calling up a memory of flying just to _fly_ Harry settled into his childhood refuge and waited for something to happen. He left just enough connection with his body that he could react quickly if things went sour. He had been attacked in this state before after all... stupid Dursleys.

It didn't take long for Harry's family to start to wake up around him. Feeling safe yet also unwilling to interact Harry stayed in his mind as both the Dark Lord and his father checked him over before exploring the limited stone room. It was Hedwig's sharp smack of her dragon tail against his forehead that brought him back out of his mind.

"Ow! Hedwig!" Harry protested as he sat up and rubbed at the spot where she had hit him next to his lightning scar.

"~Hatchling was scaring his wizards,~" Hedwig scolded reprovingly. Harry glanced at his two Slytherins, confirming her assessment before muttering a sheepish apology. Severus gave him a disapproving glare but didn't say anything else. They didn't know who was listening or watching them after all.

"Our wands were on the bedside table," Voldemort told them quietly. "Either our captors, presumably the goblins, have no need to disarm us to keep control of us or..."

"Or they wanted us at ease and do not mean us immediate harm," Severus concluded as he and Harry accepted their wands from the Dark Lord.

"There is one more option... we might already be under binds. We were asleep for long enough," Voldemort pointed out carefully. "~I would suggest anything truly private be spoken of in parsel and that Hedwig not shift forms unless absolutely necessary. It can be an ace in the hole as those at the memory viewing would have been discrete with most of what they learned. Its not impossible that our captors already know about her alternate forms but it also isn't yet widely known either and it can still be a surprise in our favor.~"

"~Acceptable,~" Hedwig agreed with a huff that released a small puff of steam and smoke. Her purple scales had dimmed to a dusky purple in the low lighting. It made it far easier for her to blend in with the shadows and Nagini had a similar effect on her naturally darker brown and green patterning. The two proved that very fact expertly as they slid up and under their wizard's outer robes to wrap around their bodies like a living armor.

An hour later the trio were standing and looking over the room more closely when the door opened and a serving cart was pushed into the room by three people. Two of those were actual servers who laid out a meal on the stone table placed across from the bed with two bowls of meat on the floor out of the way for the two familiars. Leaving the rest on the cart to be taken or not as those present wished the two servers left. During the whole operation the door to the chamber stayed wide open, giving the three occupants a look into the busy corridor just outside with the two guards stationed to either side of the doorway.

As the door shut behind the servers the richly dressed goblin that was left behind studied them even as the wizards and familiars studied her right back. The wariness in their eyes spoke volumes to the goblin.

"I am Marchek. The three of you have been granted citizenship among the Nation. This," she gestured at the room around them. "Is a part of that. I have been tasked with checking on you, arranging your lessons for basic understanding of your new people, and handling any special needs you may have. The guards out front are not to keep you in but to help you find your way around and make sure you don't get yourselves killed among our people over something stupid or a misunderstanding. They will not fight personal duels for you but should some idiot decide that you need to be assassinated before getting stronger among our people they will aid you. Formal duels are sacred and you will only be allotted six months to learn what may trigger them in general as well as any other etiquette involved in staying alive. Learning Court Etiquette allots you an additional twelve months as you would also have to know Warrior and Noble Etiquette to a basic degree."

"We can leave?" Harry asked cautiously. It was something they _had_ to know as it, at least partly, defined whether or not they were prisoners and officially kidnapped.

"You may only go so far and it must be under escort until you have passed enough basic schooling in our ways," Marchek corrected. "Your guards will know what you can and can not do until then. The three of you have been classed as a warrior unit. A warrior unit is treated much like a family among the Nation and is also considered a military unit. Sometimes this will overlap with a standard family and some or all of the members of a warrior unit will in fact be family by blood or by choice."

"What, exactly, has changed with this change in status?" Severus asked cautiously. Harry was standing between the two older wizards with the familiars flanking them. Nagini was coiled up off to Severus' right in easy reach. Meanwhile Hedwig was on the opposite side of the grouping to Voldemort's left in a mirror of Nagini's position but hovering slightly in mid-air as her coiled dragon form watched this intruder.

"Very little for yourself Potions Master Snape as you already have passed most of the basic schooling and are accredited among our own Potions Masters since your employment through the bank. Your son's adoption placed him as one of the Nation's young and you would have received an information packet containing what he would need to learn had things happened normally. Dark Lord Voldemort, on the other hand, will be monitored and required to complete his healing. Unless the specialists involved place special conditions or restrictions his end of the healing, such as actions or magics necessary for the healing, must be completed within twelve months if at all possible with sooner being better. This is for everyone's safety," Marchek told them firmly. "I understand that he is currently restricted on what actions can be taken and must consult with further specialists among the Nation before moving forward in his healing. It will be arranged on your Unit's behalf and as a part of your integration into the Nation. For the two familiars... no special restrictions are placed and they are accredited as full warrior members of your unit."

Marchek observed them in silence as they considered her words.

"What exactly will we be learning and why does Voldemort have to be healed so fast?" Harry asked carefully.

"Basic weapons, gear maintenance, our language - written and spoken, basic customs, all things from our warrior class to at least the apprentice level, apprentice level healing as well as battle healing. I am told that the healing courses are in consideration of what has happened to place you under our laws," Marchek offered as a general list of what all three of them would be learning.

"Considering the imp had his own private bed at Hogwarts and landed himself in the infirmary every year that is perhaps for the best," Severus grimaced. He really hated the fact that he hadn't looked into _that_ little detail sooner. It had been horrifying to discover the truth of those incidents through Harry's memories.

"These are your permanent rooms should you wish it. You will each have to pick and train in a weapon other than your wand which includes appropriate armor. Additionally, others have offered to help train you in various fields," Marchek informed them. "The Dwarves have offered not only warrior training of their own for all three of you but also craft training to Journeyman in anything to do with a common craft, stone craft, or metal craft. The Vampires have offered combat, strategy, and tactics training as well as administrative training in case one of you actually winds up in charge of a community or people. The Veela were less defined in their offer of aid but placed an offer in any case. The list of all such things will be provided at a later date and will include any restrictions or offered reasons. The so called marked Death Eaters have been sent a letter informing them that you are indisposed working on something with Gringotts and that any messages may be passed through the bank. Anything that arises from that will also be addressed later. Please enjoy your morning meal."

With that she took her leave and left them to their breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so Musey is being stubborn and odd again...


	34. Chapter 34

Griphook was helping to sort through the various documents of holdings that the newest members of their Nation held as everything was checked and transferred to Goblin standard when his eye caught on something. A goblin secrecy seal was no laughing matter and to find _three_ interconnected ones in files that, until recently, had no real connection to each other was something to be investigated. A croaked word in gobbledygook had them glowing in authenticity before opening up to the first page. Griphook stared at the partially unsealed files in front of him in shock before bursting out laughing in an evil cackle that made his fellow workers shiver.

"Senior Investigator Griphook?" one of the underlings questioned warily. Griphook, as an Internal Investigator, had to pass through most levels of the Bank and of the Nation easily so he often worked in various jobs from lowly Cart Driver through Senior Manager at random. It gave him a freedom of movement at any given moment that was the envy of many of his more constrained fellow investigators.

"The fools gave us the Pendragon Line, the Emrys Line, and the Le Fay Line! Not only that the idiot wizards abused the heirs so badly that the Wild Hunt had been summoned to seek retribution before anything else but their pain was known!" Griphook cackled. "We can reclaim Camelot as a whole from all sides!"

"Why... how...?" the minion asked bewildered.

"Harry Snape nee Potter, Potions Master Snape, and the Dark Lord Voldemort just handed us the lands we have been trying to reclaim for all magicals by becoming of our people!" Griphook grinned nastily. "A missive will have to be sent to the muggles and we may have to see that they are granted muggle dukedoms or something along those lines to keep it from destroying the statute of secrecy outright but those are small matters. The _Sacred Land_ is ours once more!"

As the goblins celebrated no one noticed the spider smirking up in one corner of the ceiling as it rested, satisfied, in its very special web. Now Anansi only needed to return the trio into the hands of Dumbledore and Sirius Black for them to be _taught_ proper obedience before moving forwards with his plans. It was a pity the goblins had actually obtained the three so quickly and they couldn't simply be snatched from the street but that was a minor inconvenience. Anansi was walking a fine line when leaving them among the goblins as if two or three of the other magical peoples stepped up to help guard them then the trio would be out of reach. He couldn't have that if he was going to use the three to sink an anchor deep into the land and siphon off all of the deep magic. Yes, they would die in the process but then again after Anansi had the ability to draw on the power of this land it would hardly matter. His woven stories would finally become reality at _his_ will.

The Creator shook his head at the foolishness of the Nephilim plotting against the three wizards. A whispered word to one of his Angels sent a discrete warning to the other peoples. The "teachers" from the other magical "creatures" needed to move more quickly to the side of their future students.

*+ovo+*

The three wizards stared after Marchek uncertainly for a moment before the two familiars got fed up with their frozen tableau and barreled into the trio.

"~The food is good, you _will_ eat,~" Nagini scolded, chivying them into seats at the table. Hedwig huffed her agreement but still eyed the door. Their wizards had fretted for too long as it was. At this rate they would need to locate a good familiar for Severus too. He was the least prone to trouble and danger but it wouldn't hurt to look for one any way even if they had to raise his new familiar from the egg.

"~Wait,~" Hedwig warned, causing the trio to pause before actually eating or drinking anything despite Nagini's insistence. Hedwig climbed and crawled all over the table, being careful not to knock something over or get in the food as she examined their breakfast. Watching her bright purple serpentine dragon form climb all over the table was an odd sight be Harry had to fight not to reach out and cuddle his familiar.

"~Well?~" Voldemort asked stoically.

"~No poison, healing potions in three things but maybe harmful if eaten too much? Danger greatest to Severus. King Snake's Venom and Phoenix Fawkes' tears in Hatchling and Darkling... eat? yes, _eat_ bad things in potions and help body heal with not bad things,~" Hedwig offered uncertainly. Her concentration caused a slight slip into truncated and simpler speech as she tried to explain what she sensed. "~Need put tears and venom in Severus to eat bad things in blood too.~"

"~Which items are tainted?~" Severus asked, nostrils flaring in irritation. Hedwig pointed them out. Severus scowled as he checked them himself with his wand.

"Well?" Voldemort asked again, in english this time.

"I have to avoid them but if your familiars are right then they hold no risk for either of you as long as you limit yourselves to two modest servings at most," Severus admitted with a scowl. "The potions are not safe for me due to my own sensitivities rather than the potions themselves. Its not usually an issue but the mix of spices in the food with the potions will magnify the effect on me and I would rather not be insensate for the next day or two."

"~Darkling for my Tom? I like that. Harry-hatchling is already Imp,~" Nagini chuckled. Hedwig hummed agreement as she settled next Nagini at her own food bowl on the floor.

"~We need to find familiar for Severus,~" Hedwig commented just as the man was taking a sip of his coffee, causing him to choke and sputter briefly. Severus turned a glare on the two unconcerned familiars as they continued to chat.

"~He is not drawn to as many dangerous things but he is still ours,~" Nagini hissed thoughtfully. Swallowing a chunk of meat as she considered the still currently baby dragon's point.

"~We can not watch him always and he will need a watcher for when he goes deep into something and can not watch for danger for himself. I have seen that it is far too common among wizardlings,~" Hedwig complained. Severus, by this point opted to quit glaring at the pair of reptiles and instead pointedly ignored them in favor of his food. Harry and Voldemort, on the other hand, exchanged looks as their eyes danced in amusement over the Potion Master's position of being mothered.

"Did we have a contingency plan for... _any_ of this?" Harry asked carefully as he studied the scrambled eggs he was consuming.

"No, but with your luck perhaps we should have made the attempt at planning _something_ to deal with the inevitable interest your memories have likely generated," Severus said sourly. Taking another sip of his coffee he sighed in a mix of relief and resignation. "I will inquire as to why we are being guarded beyond what Marchek told us when I leave later to see if I can gain access to a market place or my vaults. I noticed both of you flagging more easily in recent days so you will both rest. Perhaps discuss some things that show up in regards to your bond. If this is a threatening situation, beyond the obvious containment, I am the most expendable of us."

"No, you aren't expendable Severus," Voldemort rebuked sharply just as Harry opened his mouth to protest. Harry looked at him in astonishment before closing his mouth with the soft click of teeth coming together.

"I am not needed to keep the two of you _alive_ ," Severus huffed, refusing to look at them.

"You are still a part of this family and keep us in good health as well as the imp away from dangers he can not yet handle," Voldemort snapped. "If you get yourself killed I will resurrect you and make certain that you regret it!"

"Noted. I am still going," Severus informed them stubbornly. Voldemort growled in the back of his throat but didn't say anything more. They both knew they needed more information and limited freedom of movement was still more than one expects as a prisoner.

Silence reigned as they ate their meal.

"This still feels like we are trapped," Harry commented softly as they finished the delivered meal.

"Agreed," Severus nodded, wiping his mouth before continuing. "If we are lucky this is some parchment pusher doing something stupid that will be cleared up quickly. I will be investigating what I can with my guard while I am out."

"If we're not?" Harry asked, his voice remaining soft.

"Then they will discover how true their labeling of us as a military unit can become," Voldemort said grimly. "Should such an event occur you are to stay behind us as Severus and I clear a path. Your lack of training and practical experience will get in the way."

"No argument from me as long as neither of you die," Harry muttered, tossing a wary glare towards the door and the guards beyond.

"~None of you will die,~" Nagini hissed warningly. "~These small ones will face our fangs before all is done if they seek harm.~"

"~We will see,~" Hedwig said pensively. "~I am not yet old enough to flash us to another place.~"

"I forgot about that," Harry said sheepishly before clarifying for the rest of his, clearly confused, family. "Phoenixes can teleport."

"Ah, yes. I too had forgotten about that," Voldemort agreed as they all relaxed back into their seats and drinking their various morning drink. It would take time to win free if in fact they were trapped but none of them were stupid nor would they allow someone else to do to them again what Dumbledore had already done. Time was what they needed and time was what they would try to get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Muse peers at new chapter over Author's shoulder before sitting back in satisfaction and returning the blanket knitting project to Author*  
> *Author glares briefly and tries to decide between a nap to make up sleep Musey robbed or knitting another section on the ocean themed blanket*


	35. Chapter 35

Severus scowled down at the ingredients displayed in the stall and mentally counted the locations of each tunnel opening onto the market place. He could feel the slight tugging at the back of his mind indicating that Harry needed him for something but that it wasn't yet urgent or life threatening. No doubt once he got back to their current rooms Severus would be ensconced in bed with the others as they _cuddled_.

"I could just tell you the basic security so that you can shop properly," the goblin guard grumbled quietly. Severus grunted in response and selected the ingredients to make his own ginger based tea before moving on after paying.

"Honor duels and duels over disagreements are active parts of goblin society. We want your unit alive at least long enough that you can tell when someone is being an idiot or trying to knife you in the back," the guard summarized quietly as they moved through the stalls. "If you can prove basic knowledge of our people, your new people, then you wont need a guard under normal circumstances. The Dark Lord is under medical restriction as a safety precaution on both sides. Officially both of you are cleared as full warriors with a magical specialty and your son as the family apprentice. The difference between a family apprentice and a standard one is that a family apprentice is learning family or unit magics and skills or techniques and can also gain a standard apprenticeship. Every male goblin is a warrior first and whatever chosen craft or living they have second. Most female goblins have some basic training in combat for protecting any children and moderate levels of medical training. All goblins are taught basic first aid, basic weapons handling, reading, writing, and math up to but not past the quadratic equations. Anything past that is for Generals, engineers, architects, and siege specialists unless it is a normal part of their chosen profession such as your Arithmancy classes."

"If I could demonstrate that knowledge right now would you leave me alone?" Severus asked softly as he looked over a stall with armored vests in various sizes.

"I would change from being a guard to being a guide only and would only step into any disagreements you became involved with at your specific request or, because of your value, to stop a death blow," the goblin answered toothily. "Once you knew your way around enough not to get dangerously lost despite the protective magics on the tunnels you would be allowed to wander at will. The only reason your unit hasn't been formally introduced to the warrior class and various groups such as the Potions Masters is that you are still acclimating and the parchment pushers keep trying to imprison you. Once accepted they can't declare your unit unfit. Not that they have any chance of that now but we are leaving them their delusions to give you a chance to actually interact with the Nation instead of being dumped into the deep pool. We guards were briefed on your unit's basic skills and accomplishments and have no problem accepting your unit as brothers."

"Interesting..." Severus murmured as he set aside an enchanted leather vest that would work well on Harry.

"The Dark Lord qualifies as a dark specialist or, in more common reference, a Dark Dancer because he dances with the dangers of the dark. You qualify as a Potions Master and Shadow Scout, what muggles would call a ninja. Shadow Scouts specialize in information gathering but can act as assassins or spies. Your son... is a Breaker. He locates and _breaks_ a threat before it can destroy an area or people that he guards. It doesn't matter as much to him, with a few exceptions, what he needs to do or become to succeed as long as those he values are as safe as possible," the guard explained. "He also counts as a Reality Catalyst - someone who reality bends around to either save him or get him into position. Reality Catalysts are often subject to prophecy and just as often initiate major change in some fashion regardless of whether that action is intentional or not. Merlin was a Reality Catalyst. Breakers often become leaders or troubleshooters specializing in the unique and unheard of."

"You are wrong, it does matter," Severus said abruptly, sending a nasty scowl at his escort.

"It wont stop him even if it means that he finds a different path or creates a whole new path," the guard smirked at the Potions Master. "Breaking applies to obstacles as much as to actual threats. Any morals he has are actually less prone to breakage because it helps protect his mind."

"That is my brat," Severus grumbled in grumpy agreement.

The Potions Master went ahead and purchased a slightly different enchanted leather vest from the one he had originally set aside with plans for a dragonhide one at a later date. The thick blue dyed leather with silver rune edges and a black embroidered eastern dragon would fit Harry nicely over any of his new shirts that actually fit him and would go with all of them for coloring. The three pants they had originally bought him were more or less a standard black with no protections as they had been planning on getting the robes set up with proper protective enchantments after the medical visit to the bank. Most of the expensive clothes buying had been planned for after Harry's bones were fixed to make certain that it would fit without issue.

"Boots for your son next?" the guard suggested with a smirk.

"Something to protect his legs and knees first," Severus corrected acidly. He was rather enjoying the company of his guard however much he didn't want to.

"You will want something he can wear over anything then, shin guards? Of course you can just get armored knee high boots instead," the guard recommended thoughtfully. "I'll show you both booths."

Severus found himself buying the dragonhide boots first but they only came up to mid-calf. However they were, happily, charmed to automatically size themselves and to act as light armor on top of their naturally high durability. Leather pants, charmed as light armor, with a side stripe of 3 fold heavy denim for breathability solved protecting Harry's legs. Two pairs were bought, one in a darker red-brown with a dark blue stripe and the other in matte black with a black stripe. Shiny black leather would just get his Imp killed when he had to sneak past the inevitable enemies that would appear. A wand holster with a spot for a potions blade, also purchased, made it into the shopping bags as did a knife bordering on being a dagger meant to be strapped to a person's thigh or belt.

The connection to Harry spiked briefly in the back of Severus' brain, causing him to whip around and start heading back to their temporary quarters. A lowly hissed "Something's wrong. We need to get back _now_!" had the guard taking the lead as they rapidly headed back at a double time pace. As they moved they picked up an extra two guards and Severus hoped it wasn't something stupid or, alternatively, that their small group would be enough to help. His brat was going to get an earful about getting into trouble while he was supposed to be _resting_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to skip the Note!
> 
> **A/n:**  
>  Reality Catalysts are real and often called "Favored by God" or Heroes. Anyone who believes that Jesus is the ever existing Son of God and has accepted him as their savior - ie. a born again believer - counts as a Reality Catalyst even if it isn't always overtly noticeable under normal circumstances.  
> Don't believe me? Watch for people who have impossible luck that either favors them or gets them into position to do something important or to share Jesus even if they don't take that opportunity.  
> This is what the world will lose when the rapture occurs as every single true believer in Jesus will be called away - commanded into the air that we might not need to face that which is coming. Every last one of us were adopted by God as his children in accepting Jesus and will eat at his table on that day.  
> It is something that you can become if you so wish and you don't have to believe me or even go through me to get it.  
> I am a mortal human and mortal humans are fallible. I screw up every day. None of that changes the fact that I am an adopted child of God. I am his daughter. How about you?


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Religious reference warning near the end of the chapter. As I have already brought up Nephilim and the Creator this should be no surprise. I am actually using established cannon background in this case but expanding on it and fitting it to a later event for the story so don't jump on me for it! Don't like Christian things? I am sad to see you go but I don't get paid to write and am not obligated to follow your ideas or demands. The warning is only out of courtesy any way.
> 
> *+ovo+*
> 
> * * *

Harry woke up from his nap to sweet poison being forced down his throat as Voldemort screamed for him from across the room. Twisting sharply in the hands holding him Harry wrenched himself away far enough to spit out the liquid being forced on him and see that the Dark Lord was pinned against the stone wall with their enraged familiars caged at his feet. A desperate twisting in his gut told Harry that he either acted _now_ or they all failed. Wrenching a chunk of the warm ball of power in his chest and throwing it haphazardly at their attackers, blasting those holding him away and turning three of the nearly ten unwanted people present to ash. His mind flashing back to his fight with Quirrell over Flamel's stone sparked magical fire into being as it gathered around his hands and forearms. Feeling slightly weak Harry adjusted to the sensation of both fire and weakness unconsciously, as taught by surviving the abuse and bullying from the Dursleys and anyone they could encourage into joining them, as he began to _move_. 

Power poured into Harry's limbs, muscles, nerves, and very bones - fortifying and enhancing him rapidly as every movement completed. As a result the first attacking vampire he hit would have described the strike as a burning freight train at over 1,000 mph. An unconscious use of the movement impediment charm combined with a brief sticking charm on the bottom of his feet kept him from flying into the wall alongside his victim as he turned mid-movement and blasted the cage containing the two pissed familiars. The blast of power took off any dead scales and skin from the pair as it disintegrated the equally inanimate cage, shredding the magic involved with both cage and that holding Voldemort's feet pinned.

Voldemort immediately used his new freedom of movement to viciously kick the nearest attacker between the legs. Receiving a punch to the jaw that slammed his head against the stone behind him from the man's friend knocked him silly even as Nagini struck the man in the throat, emptying her venom sacks. Hedwig, meanwhile, was shooting across the room and knocking a still moving Harry out of the way of a swinging blade of the Bardiche that would have bi-sected him with her purple small dragon body. No thought was given to how the man was using a polearm in such a confined space as Voldemort fought free of the failing magical restraints and tried to focus through the double vision long enough to help his family.

A snarled word that grated on the brain had a mass of roiling shadow erupting from near the man standing near the doorway only to be choked off part way through forming as a spear exited from his throat from behind. Severus' voice snapped out from the corridor, blasting the impaled man free of the spear and sending everyone still standing tumbling to the floor or their knees. In an instant the three goblins with the Potions Master were in among the attackers and taking them out with extreme prejudice.

Even still a spider themed african blade nearly slammed into Harry's face, edge first, if it were not for Hedwig knocking the arm to the side and giving the man a face full of smoke and sparks. A shout of rage from Severus at seeing this didn't stop Harry from using his fire encased arms to shove the man off of him as he accidentally set him on fire at the same time. In the end both attackers who had been set alight by Harry's magical fire died but not before they answered some very pointed questions posed by the guards who dragged them away while unconscious.

As the room subsided into the pained cries and moaning of the attackers, punctuated by the breathing of the defenders. Those sounds quickly gave way to the scrambling movements of claws and boots as Harry and Voldemort were quickly checked over. A quiet cancellation spell from Severus reminded Harry that he could let go of the magical fire, allowing it to dissipated into nothing.

"Harry?" Voldemort slurred, finally breaking the after battle quiet.

"Fine," Harry croaked and glared his father into helping him over to the Dark Lord, who had been moved on to the bed.

"Assassination attempts are grounds for war," the goblin guard who had originally accompanied Severus through the market snarled. "They are also grounds for instant execution and suspicion alone among the Nation is grounds for an honor duel."

"Noted," Severus growled. Harry found himself briefly scooped up in his father's arms before being laid out on the bed next to the Dark Lord.

"You are still too light," Severus grumbled as he checked them over himself, not trusting the guards with any medical care even as said guards collected the still living attackers and someone called for the bodies to be removed.

"Heads will roll for this breach," Severus' guard/guide growled as he finally checked the room one last time as the last of the attackers were cleared out.

Voldemort grunted and reached across the bed to scoop Harry into his side, guessing correctly that Harry was largely unhurt due to Severus' lack of growling and cursing. His eyes were shut, trying not to be sick from the knock his head had taken, and trusting Severus to stand guard if it became necessary. Nagini and Hedwig climbed up on to the bed with them and curled up on either side of their wizards.

"What happened?" Severus questioned softly.

"I got Harry to go back to sleep and I was dozing when they burst in. The guards on the door either weren't there or were dead before the attackers entered. I was slow as I tried to react to the intrusion and they wrestled me off of the bed with little trouble. Both Nagini and Hedwig were caught just as off guard as the three of us were quickly trapped against the wall. Harry was pinned on the bed and they were trying to force feed him something just as I was pinned to the wall and Harry woke up. I don't know whether he woke to my cry of warning or the feel of them touching him and trying to make him drink whatever that concoction was," Voldemort summarized tiredly. "We didn't bother getting undressed in case you had extract visitors when you got back. Thankfully, our wands weren't found even if we didn't have time to draw them from their holsters."

"I used the memory of burning Quirrell in first year for the idea of fire on my arms that didn't hurt me," Harry offered up. He had a few light burns but nothing worse than a light sunburn or getting a slight scorching from getting too close to an open flame on his hands and arms. The arms of his shirt, on the other hand, were either badly scorched or completely ash. The skin irritation would fade within hours without help.

"If they had just been going for the kill we would have been dead," Voldemort admitted grimly. "I don't know how well it would have stuck considering my still un-absorbed precautions but we would have had absolutely no chance. Your return and rescue of us was timely."

"The bond to our imp _screamed_. Of course I was coming back!" Severus retorted acidly. Voldemort hummed his acknowledgement and didn't even bother to try keeping up appearances as a quick tug had the Potions Master tumbling onto the bed with a startled yelp. Nagini snickered as Hedwig moved to herd him up against Harry on the bed.

"At least let me get the shopping out of my pockets and on to the table," Severus muttered indignantly as he unconsciously clung to Harry and a little bit to Voldemort as well. Voldemort didn't even bother to open his eyes as he smirked.

"We will leave you to your bonding time," the goblin guard/guide said with open amusement. "I will bring a rough map of what you were looking at for you to examine the next time I come on shift. Its magic will destroy it if it ever leaves the Nation's tunnels. Right now I have some petty parchment pushers that I need to _discuss_ this incident with. My brothers, Knifejack and Bloodmark will guard you in my absence. Brothers... make sure they eat heartily. I have no wish to be on the wrong end of Uncle Flitwick's weapon's practice this week if they come to actual harm."

"You think he would go any easier on us?" one of the guards they had picked up on the way back to the temporary quarters, the one with twin daggers, snorted.

"Calm down brother, Bladebitter knows we wont let them be ambushed again," the one with an oddly red birthmark or tattoo on his face said in gentle amusement.

"Yes, well, if Uncle plans to claim them to the Clan they have to be alive now don't they?" the now named Bladebitter blustered. He hastily took his leave as his brothers took up guard positions out in the corridor.

"Professor _Flitwick_ wants us?!" Harry asked in disbelief.

"If Filius wants us for something he can come and talk to us himself," Severus huffed, giving up on rising from the bed to set the shrunken shopping aside. It wasn't like he hadn't thought to spell his tea ingredients to be protected from crushing until removed from their packaging and the clothes didn't need it in the first place.

Hedwig smugly settled on Severus' chest, curled up in a coil of baby purple dragon, as she effectively pinned him in bed with his fellow wizards.

The potion that the attackers had tried to force on Harry quietly finished dissolving into mist that dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only the smashed vial pushed against the wall in a dark corner. The few drops that Harry had unconsciously swallowed slowly settled into his stomach. His temperature slowly rose over the next twelve hours until he was burning up and Severus was quietly panicking.

"I don't understand it," Severus hissed angrily. He was at his wit's end and ready to ignore Voldemort's argument to avoid calling a goblin healer until morning as they had no idea even how to until one of the duty guards talked to them at breakfast. "The fever reducer I had did nothing and the cooling charms seem to feed it!"

"I think its time for an ice bath," Voldemort said, his throat dry. "It does something close to walking out into the snow without proper clothes but he is so hot right now that I can't think of anything else. It isn't magic so it shouldn't feed whatever this is."

"~Enough! Hold his mouth open,~" Hedwig ordered before shifting into her baby Phoenix form. Hopping across the bed she landed on her hatchling's hot chest. Carefully waddling up Harry's body she cried into his mouth, dropping precious healing Phoenix tears directly down his throat. Both older wizards, helping to hold Harry gently in position, felt the immediate effect as the imp's temperature began to drop to safer levels. A quiet sigh of relief passed between them as they slumped back into bed, uncaring of the soaking sweat produced by Harry that was quickly banished by a drying charm.

"I will take first watch for the rest of the night," Voldemort offered, more like demanded. Severus started to make a noise of protest only to be stopped by the other man's glare. "I will wake you if anything changes. If you exhaust yourself then you will be useless should he get worse again where as I can watch him in his current state even if I never trained as a healer."

Severus grumbled but conceded the point as Hedwig and Nagini glared the pair into their own form of submission.

Two hours later Voldemort watched as his family slept.

"So, this is what the preacher meant all those years ago.... I don't think I could ask Severus or Harry to die much less willingly walk to their own death by torture. Not for me and certainly not for the uncaring masses. Then again making it child simple, stripping away all the extra, does make its own sort of sense. Immortality with a replacement, better body later on even if our minds and souls go into stasis for a bit first? With the only price as pure child-like belief? Yes, I can see why so many rejected it or twisted it. The entire concept is so simple as to be beyond belief..." Voldemort muttered. Nagini shifted back to barely awake at his words and hissed her displeasure at the interruption of her rest.

"~Stop worrying over it,~" Nagini hissed sleepily. "~You humans either believe or you don't. _We_ animals were never stupid enough to tell _him_ what he could and could not do or ignore his warnings. A human hatchling can do it without this worry.~"

"But..." Voldemort started only to be cut off.

"~No. He either is who he said he is or not, you either believe or not. Decide, _then_ mutter over how it looks impossible from a human sight that the Christ _is_ ,~" Nagini huffed. This was not the first time her Tom had spoken of the religious services of his childhood but never with such comprehension and disbelieving wonder. "~Did the Creator not declare that one day every tongue would confess his status and every knee would bow? Think you that only applies to humans?! The existence of the Prince is no mystery to us animals. Decide if you believe in the blood price he payed for you humans or not but be quiet while you do so.~"

"I think... I believe. Yes, I believe in _all_ of it, his existence and his sacrifice and the reason _why_ ," Voldemort whispered. With a gasp he felt his body shift and heal even as something flowed down his bond to Harry. Within moments he knew his soul was whole once more and that if he had looked in a mirror he would have seen Tom Riddle looking back.

"~Welcome back my Tom. Now go to sleep!~" Nagini ordered with a fanged yawn. "~We will celebrate your healing and _true_ choice of immortality after the early sun meal.~"

Smiling Vol-no _Tom_ stood guard over his family for the rest of the night. Elsewhere, a spider trickster nephilim raged over his prey having gained a guardian angel that had ordered his spirit minions away. The same guardian angel greet two others who had been lurking nearby their own charges, Severus and Harry. Had someone with the spirit sight looked in on the small family they would have seen three angels glowing brilliantly in happiness as they stood guard against things unseen in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This honestly feels like the journey's end to me. I have not yet decided if this story is done but it feels like a potential end point so I am mentioning it... We will just have to wait and see if god gifts me with more for the story or not.  
> Regardless, I wish you well.  
> ~Gen


	37. Chapter 37

Epilogue:

Three years had passed for the family of parselmouths and their familiars. Three years of training and healing under the joint care of the Goblins, Vampires, Veela, Dwarves, and Centaurs. The Death Eaters kept as low of a profile as possible as their politically powerful members holding back the Light faction from ripping down the magical protections to keep out the non-magical.

At one point the guardian angels had become briefly visible to their charges as they fought off a hoard of mini-demons. One of them had glanced at their charges and gave a warning "The Veil is thinning. You must stand upon the Pendragon Throne before it fully falls." before fading away out of sight with the rest. Not once did the small family doubt that their angels had remained to continue guarding them. It was, after all, what guardian angels did - guarding their charges until the end of time.

An exhaustive bloodline test had revealed that Tom was of the Pendragon Line as well as the Slytherin, Peverell, and Gaunt lines. Harry was of the Le Fay line on top of the Peverell, Potter, Black, and Gryffindor lines. Severus... well Severus was of the line of Merlin Emrys adding to his more recent Prince bloodline. All three held some form of claim to the Pendragon Throne, more commonly known as the throne of the High King Arthur Pendragon of the Round Table.

The small family would leave for the fabled location of Avalon and its lost portal directly to the magical throne of fallen Camelot in three days. Going with them was a group of guards made up mostly of their teachers from these past three years, each of whom had declared their charges as adequately trained... for now.

As for the Nephilim Anansi and its minions there was some concern that he didn't press to eliminate them again with more assassins. Then again when one is naturally of an immortal bloodline one has eternity to plot. Sirius Black was still unaccounted for, as were most of the Order of the Phoenix. Leadership of the Order had clearly passed to Mad-eye Moody when Dumbledore's body was found dumped in a dead end down Knockturn Alley, a spider burned into the crushed remains of his chest.

Still, Harry thought, it could be worse. It was time for a new adventure and _this_ time his family was not only there to support him but had made sure he was actually trained to handle what might come.

Hedwig lifted off of her chick's shoulder in her full icy adult phoenix glory only to fly around the group as she dropped and icy trail of power and _flashed_ the group as a whole away. Left behind the expedition were a small pile of ice crystals which melted in the noon day sun on the steps of the Gringotts Bank.

The next story had yet to be written as the ice melted away leaving no trace except in the minds of the few witnesses of the future yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/n:**  
>  I am intentionally leaving this somewhat open ended as I feel like there might be more to write at a later date. For now you will have to be happy with just this. The Arthurian bloodline mix was donated by AiraSilver. My prayers go with all of you.  
> ~Genuka


End file.
